FRAMING A PICTURE

Since rolling up the posters of adolescence I've transitioned to framed works on my walls.  The gift of the Nobex framing kit from our friend Matt Cowley has made this goal easier, cheaper and fun.  We were keen to frame a number of paintings on board and thought we'd share with you a really simple design.

I found this corner trim at Home Hardware on Ossington; it's not typically used for framing but works well, is reasonably priced and is available in three sizes.  The trim supports the painting from behind, making matting unnecessary.  Remember when you're measuring that there will be waste due to the mitre cuts.

 

After all your lengths are mitre cut, sand off the burs and glue them together using carpenters glue.  The kit came with this nifty string clamp.  It's the best tool ever.  Let the frames dry for at least an hour before removing the clamp.

 

Sand the corners to remove any excess glue, then paint.  We just used white primer which gives a very flat finished - nice.

Drop your paintings into the frames and secure.  You can use a number of different methods including velcro, double sided tape or museum wax, keeping in mind if archival treatment is an issue.  The back of the frame is nice and wide to accommodate hanging hardware.  Attach a mounting hook if desired, or balance the frame on a nail.  

All done.