There is always the question of how best to glue a wooden picture frame. Frames with a figured profile are joined in a “mustache”, i.e. The ends of the parts are filed at an angle of 45*. Clamps for tightening frames when gluing have existed for a long time, but the strange thing is that they continue to be invented to this day.
Moreover, such clamps are designed by the craftsmen themselves, especially those who have to make a lot of such frames as part of their work. Apparently, one single universal clamp has not yet been invented.
I don't make picture frames every day, and I usually use two methods. The first option is to tighten the parts using a special corner clamp, photo above. But this method has some inconveniences; the corner clamps that I use do not allow me to assemble small frames.
There are other fairly simple gluing methods. Making such a device takes just a few minutes. To work, you will need a flat square platform made of chipboard or thick plywood. Support bars are screwed onto two edges with self-tapping screws. Please note that during assembly, the bars should be at an angle of 90* relative to each other. For precise installation, use a metal square.
Next, we coat the frame parts that have already been prepared and sawed at an angle with glue and tighten them using two long clamps. When compressing, be sure to check all corners of the frame with a square. The photo shows how else you can check the correct assembly. Graph paper is placed on the device platform, and during assembly you can see how the parts fit in relation to each other. And also, so that you can use your device for a long time, place paper under the corners so that the glue does not stick to the site.
The other option is more like a professional one corner clamp, although in fact it is also homemade. Four separate stop angles with flanges are used here. All four corners are tightened from the inside with elastic rubber, a tension rope or a cable. IN classic version all four corners are tightened with one bolt, and the stop angles are installed on four diagonal slats.
As for this particular product, the whole problem here is to make these very corners with sides. In my opinion, the methods listed in this article are quite suitable for making a small number of frames. There is another method, article. Although I repeat, craftsmen continue to invent corner clamps for assembling frames, everyone is looking for the most convenient option for themselves.
Today, there is a wide variety of ready-made photo frames in stores. But sometimes there is a desire to do something yourself so that the product turns out to be truly original.
How to make a photo frame
The process of creating a photo frame from wood with your own hands is quite creative. Therefore, different methods are used to obtain the final result.
DIY wooden photo frame.
First way
Least labor intensive and easy to use.
- First of all, you need to choose the right fittings from which the future photo frame will be made. To make a wooden frame you will need wooden slats, glue, paints, sandpaper, Staples.
- Of course, it’s also worth paying attention to what size the future frame will be. Next, the same length of all four sides of the future product is correctly measured. After which the edges of the slats are filed at an angle of 45 degrees.
- Then, using staples, the two sides of the frame are connected, so that the joint becomes barely perceptible. But this is not enough; the sides of the future frame should be coated with glue before connecting them with staples.
- After the glue has dried, you can start decorating the frame. In this regard, everything will depend on your own wishes and imagination.
- After decorating the frame and gluing the selected decorative elements to it, you can place a photograph in it. This can be done using a stapler, and the photo must first be laminated. This will allow you to maintain its appearance for as long as possible.
Second way
The next method is more labor-intensive, although the initial principle of operation is the same as in the first case. But this version of the frame requires the presence of a baguette. First of all, stick together wooden blocks same sizes, then the same bars are glued together, but of smaller sizes, for the second frame. The result is an object that looks like a box.
The decorative elements of a wooden photo frame can be very diverse.
The joint that connects the two frames is glued with a decorative baguette. It is coated with glue twice before use. After drying, the wooden frame can be painted at your discretion. The result is an unusual and original product.
An item made with your own hands always brings more joy and satisfaction than something bought in a store. For example, a picture frame assembled with your own hands will always evoke more positive impressions.
A do-it-yourself frame can also be made using special machine on wood, where you can cut out beautiful patterns and make unusual ornaments. But this is usually done by craftsmen who have experience in this type of work.
Wood photo frame
A wooden frame will always win among others with its appearance, and plus, environmentally friendly materials. And any photo in it will look harmonious. When the question arises of how to make a frame out of wood, you should understand that, no matter which version of its manufacture is chosen, it is the end result that is important.
Original do-it-yourself wooden photo frame.
Very often, in order to make a frame, they use in a simple way tightening it with a rubber band. That is, the tape tied in a loop glues wooden blanks, which must be sawn at 45 degrees. True, it is not always possible to complete such work the first time, since it requires certain skills.
Another method can be used. It requires a square sheet of plywood, along the edges of which beams are screwed. They should be located at an angle of 90 degrees. With their help, already prepared elements of the future frame are pulled together and glued together. After tightening, you need to check how the corners of the frame are located relative to each other.
Any frames made of wood will always be the best decoration for any photographs or any works of art, since wood is a very elegant and expensive material. It can always be an excellent gift and decoration for any interior.
It's always nice to look at photographs that capture memorable moments from your life. Be it a wedding celebration, the birth of a child, or just a photo on a bench in an autumn park.
And in order to prevent valuable shots from disappearing, we try to carefully preserve them; a photo frame may be suitable for this. You can buy it at the store, but making it yourself is much nicer.
Recommendations for making a photo frame with your own hands
In order to make a frame you do not need expensive materials Most likely, you have everything you need at home.
Initially, you need to decide what the base of the frame will be made of.
Suitable for this:
- Paper colored or plain;
- Durable cardboard;
- Fibreboard, wood, etc.
For those needlewomen who have more experience, it will not be difficult to make a base for a photo frame from an old watch case, a box of matches, branches, twigs, plastic forks or spoons, and disks.
The greater the variety of available materials, the more interesting the work will be. The most popular materials are wood and cardboard.
Paper photo frame
If you have wallpaper scraps on hand, they can serve as a good basis for making a three-dimensional photo frame. Plain color is also suitable colored paper, which, if desired, can be painted in the color you need.
Newspaper can also work for this. Using knitting needles, twist it into a tube, weave a frame, then form a frame and paint it with bright colors.
Cardboard photo frame
Cardboard will serve best reliable basis for photo frame. Draw out template details for the future frame. If you plan to hang the photo frame on the wall, attach a small loop made of thick thread to the back wall.
If you want to admire a photo on your desktop, take a step. Decorate the cardboard with flowers, stars, hearts, butterflies, which are prepared in advance from multi-colored paper.
Do not forget that excess design may look unsightly. If the paper contains beautiful drawing, then there is no need to add decorations.
Wooden photo frame
If you decide to make a wooden frame, then for this you will need twigs and branches. First, think about what size the photo frame will be, because the width and length of the source material will depend on this.
The fastening element will be organza or rope. The work will not take much time, and the manufacturing process will be entertaining and interesting.
Weaving from willow, willow or vine branches requires certain skills, so this work is not for everyone.
An excellent material for a photo frame can be ice cream sticks. With their help you can create your own unique creative masterpiece.
Photo frame from other improvised means
Save colorful cards, they are great for decoration. Master the quilling technique and your bright works will delight you for a long time.
Note!
You can also use multi-colored napkins, cut them into small squares, roll them into small balls, and attach them to the base with glue. This work is not difficult, but even a child can do it painstakingly.
Various pieces of fabric are also suitable for decoration. For example, if you decorate a cardboard frame with denim, it will look very stylish and creative.
You can also attach puff pastry figures to the photo frame. Unnecessary markers, plastic straws, pencils, fragments from a broken vase, disks and much more can be used for decoration.
Natural materials (dry leaves, flowers, pine cones, nut shells, wood shavings, multi-colored small stones, shells) look more natural and natural; they are perfect for decorating photo frames.
Experiment with food items, decorate the frame with rice, buckwheat, peas, beans, corn or sunflower seeds.
Use pasta (corns, stars, vermicelli or spaghetti) when decorating. To make the frame look more colorful, you need to paint it with colored paints.
Note!
From everything that has been said, we can conclude that in order for the photo frame to turn out beautiful and unique, for this you will need any available material, your imagination, idea and desire.
DIY photo frames
Note!
Photographs are a repository of a variety of moments. They preserve life itself. That is why always, even in the era digital technologies, people put on the table, place on the walls photos related to a particular event or person. I don’t want to put the memories that are dear to my heart into a template framework. Therefore, the decor of photo frames has always been, is and will be in demand. Decorating frames with your own hands is possible for almost everyone; it is exciting and makes you feel like a real creator.
You can use a cheap purchased frame as a basis for your work or cut it out yourself from cardboard.
Types of photo frame decor
- The first most common way to decorate a photo frame is to stick something on it. And this “something” is a boundless sea;
- paste over in decoupage style;
- paint in an original way using a variety of techniques;
- the frame can be sewn from soft materials;
- cover with knitted fabric;
- decorate with fabric;
- wrap it picturesquely with twine, various threads, braid, lace;
- made from tree branches;
- You can even bake it (from salt dough).
The list can be continued indefinitely; it can only be limited by the limit of your imagination.
Pasted decor
You can glue a lot to a frame, everything is determined by the taste and imagination of the master.
Buttons
Photo frames decorated with buttons will look original, especially if you choose them in the same color. However, this is not required condition. The desired color uniformity can be achieved using acrylic paint. For example, buttons coated with gold paint will transform beyond recognition an old photo frame that by a lucky chance did not end up in the trash bin.
Beads, rhinestones
Over time, such things accumulate in abundance in every woman. All this can become a unique collection of materials for decorating an elegant frame with your favorite photo with your own hands; it’s worth gluing them onto a pre-planned drawing or ornament.
Tip: you can use whole brooches, beads, beads, pearls, interesting pieces of glass, fragments of broken dishes, mosaic elements.
Natural materials
Tastefully decorated frames in a natural style always attract attention. After all, we are all children of nature.
Coffee beans, lentils, acorns
Everything can go into action and create unique compositions.
Coffee beans will come in handy not only for making an invigorating drink, they also turn out to be an excellent material for decorating a photo frame with your own hands: they have a wonderful smell, original texture, noble color, they do not deteriorate. The work won’t take much time either: it’s not so difficult with the help glue gun or use PVA glue to tightly line a standard photo frame with coffee beans, which in its new guise is guaranteed to become a leading interior accessory.
Tip: to make your handmade frame smell fragrant, buy star anise and star anise and find a place for them in the overall decor.
Shells
This is one of the rewarding materials for decorating a photographic frame with your own hands. Need shells for decoration various shapes and magnitude. In addition to shells, it is appropriate to use interesting glass, sea pebbles and other finds made on the sea or river bank in inlay.
Paper
When creating an exclusive frame with your own hands, you can use paper, which under normal circumstances would face the sad fate of waste paper. Very original photo frames are decorated with paper tubes from newspapers and magazines that have served their purpose.
They can be either short (we stick them on the end) or oblong – we use them in a horizontal position.
Another decor idea: birch bark is a very impressive look natural materials. Cut a piece of birch bark into five strips. Four will become the actual frame, the fifth can be made into a stand.
Salty dough
You can turn an ordinary photo frame into a designer one using salt dough. Everyone has their own ideas: some will decorate it with flowers, while others will add the name of the child shown in the picture. But first you need to make this very dough: knead it from a glass of salt, two glasses of flour and water. Having achieved the consistency of plasticine, start sculpting your intended decorative elements right on the corner of the photo frame - this will allow the dough to form the required form at the base, and it can be glued to the right place without any problems. Place it in the oven for 20 minutes. Let it cool, glue it to the frame and begin painting with any colors. You can even limit yourself to one from an aerosol can. The final stage consists of varnishing (it is better to do two layers) and drying.
Childhood surroundings
If there are daughters in the family, the number of decorative hairpins and elastic bands increases by geometric progression. Cute trinkets, decorated, for example, with flowers, can get a second life when this idea is implemented. Cut flowers from tired rubber bands. Place larger ones on the top corner of the frame, and place smaller ones below.
The result will be a real flower cascade. You can glue the flowers only on the top, leaving the bottom of the frame untouched. Having completed this process, place the work under a load for several hours. When the flowers are white, the remaining part of the frame free from decor should be covered with silver paint, or green if they evoke associations with a spring meadow.
Decoupage
Before starting work, prepare:
- a frame (not necessarily a new one, you can just get bored);
- a sheet of sandpaper;
- glue (if there is no decoupage glue, dilute PVA glue with an equal amount of water);
- brush;
- decoupage napkins, cards.
After this, proceed to the decoupage process itself:
- Sand the old photo frame first. A new one, if it is not varnished, does not need to be processed.
- First, you need to cut out the desired area from a napkin or card, having previously measured the frame itself, not forgetting about the reserve required for processing the edges.
- Using a brush (or a sponge), carefully apply the glue to front side framework. Then place it in in the right place prepared image and smooth it, making sure that all air bubbles come out from under the pasted fragment. Do this starting from the center, gradually moving to the edges.
- Then, literally for two minutes, you need to put the frame under something heavy, for example, under a massive book.
- To remove excess pieces of tissue paper, run a nail file along the edge of the photo frame (pressure angle should be 45). In the same way, remove the remains from the central part.
- Finally, apply another layer of glue and set the frame to dry.
A rich assortment of decoupage napkins will definitely allow you to choose the means to realize your idea and create a unique piece.
Another option for decoupage photo frames
Add paints and varnish to the previous set of materials.
Bold and non-trivial
- People who value originality can even use a used bicycle wheel as a photo frame: select photos of a general theme, think over the plot, insert a photo between the spokes or secure with clothespins - original decor ready.
- There is no need to guess how a hunting enthusiast will react to a portrait presented to him in a frame made of spent cartridges. Of course, with sincere gratitude.
- Option for fishermen: attach hooks or brackets to the fishing rod using twine or thin cable with original sea knots hang photo frames on them, add a couple of floats.
- Even an ordinary one can become a creative photo frame glass jar: place a photo of the appropriate size in the selected container, decorate the empty space in it with sand, shells, starfish, LED garlands or any other surroundings close to the subject of the photo.
It is impossible to describe all the ways to decorate photo frames with your own hands: every day the ranks of lovers of this democratic type of needlework are replenished, new ideas are born, which, in turn, become an incentive for further ideas. The creative process never stops.
