You can frame a canvas painting yourself with just a few tools and some basic steps. The easiest way is to use a ready-made picture frame for canvas that fits your artwork, or to stretch canvas onto wood stretcher bars and then add a floater frame canvas. Many canvas framing options exist, from simple methods to more professional approaches. This guide will walk you through the most common and accessible ways to frame your canvas art, making your artwork look polished and ready to hang.
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Getting Started: Essential Considerations Before Framing
Before you even pick up a tool, a few key decisions will make the framing process much smoother. Think about the style of your artwork, the room it will be displayed in, and your budget. These factors will influence the best canvas framing techniques for your piece.
Choosing the Right Frame Style
There are several popular ways to frame a canvas painting, each offering a different aesthetic.
- Gallery Wrap Canvas: This is a very popular method where the canvas is stretched tightly over a wooden frame and the staples are hidden on the back. The artwork continues around the sides of the stretcher bars, giving it a clean, modern look. No traditional frame is needed, but you can add a floater frame canvas for extra depth and sophistication.
- Traditional Frame: This involves placing the stretched canvas within a decorative frame made of wood, metal, or other materials. The frame sits around the edges of the canvas, providing a classic and often more ornate presentation.
- Floater Frame Canvas: This type of frame creates a visual “float” effect. The canvas sits inside the frame with a small gap between the canvas edges and the frame itself. This gap gives the illusion that the artwork is floating within the frame, adding a contemporary and elegant touch.
What Size Frame Do I Need?
The size of your frame depends directly on the size of your canvas. For gallery wrap canvas, the frame will typically be slightly larger than the canvas to accommodate the depth and the floating effect. For traditional frames, you’ll need the frame opening to match the outer dimensions of your stretched canvas. Always measure your canvas carefully, including the depth of the stretcher bars, before purchasing or building a frame.
Materials and Tools You’ll Likely Need
Gathering your supplies beforehand will save you time and frustration.
- Your Stretched Canvas: The artwork itself.
- Picture Frame for Canvas: This could be a pre-made frame, a custom frame, or materials for a DIY frame.
- Mounting Hardware: D-rings, sawtooth hangers, wire, or screws depending on your frame and hanging method.
- Screwdriver or Drill: For attaching hardware.
- Measuring Tape: For precise measurements.
- Level: To ensure your artwork hangs straight.
- Optional: Canvas pliers (for stretching canvas), staple gun (for stretching canvas), gesso or primer (if preparing raw canvas), sandpaper (for DIY frames), paint or stain (for DIY frames), wood glue (for DIY frames).
Method 1: Framing a Gallery Wrap Canvas
A gallery wrap canvas is often framed as is, or with the addition of a floater frame canvas. This is a popular choice for modern art and offers a very clean finish.
Preparing Your Gallery Wrap Canvas
If your canvas isn’t already gallery wrapped, you might consider doing it yourself. This involves stretching the canvas over wood stretcher bars and stapling it securely to the back.
Steps for Stretching Canvas:
- Gather Supplies: You’ll need your canvas, wood stretcher bars, staples, a staple gun, and canvas pliers.
- Assemble Stretcher Bars: Connect the corner pieces of the stretcher bars to form a rectangular frame. Ensure they are aligned correctly.
- Position Canvas: Lay your canvas face down on a clean, flat surface. Place the assembled stretcher bars onto the canvas, leaving a few inches of canvas around the edges.
- Begin Stapling: Start by stapling the center of one side of the canvas to the stretcher bar. Then, pull the canvas taut across to the opposite side and staple the center there.
- Work to the Corners: Continue pulling the canvas taut and stapling every few inches along each side. Use canvas pliers to get a really tight stretch.
- Fold Corners: Fold the corners neatly to create a clean finish. This often involves making pleats or folds and securing them with staples.
- Trim Excess Canvas: Once stapled and taut, trim any excess canvas from the back.
Adding a Floater Frame Canvas
A floater frame canvas is a great way to add a professional touch to a gallery wrap. The frame has a recessed interior that allows the canvas to be inset, creating that signature “float.”
DIY Floater Frame Steps:
- Measure Your Canvas: Measure the exact width, height, and depth of your gallery wrap canvas.
- Purchase or Build the Frame: You can buy pre-made floater frames for standard canvas sizes, or you can build one. To build one, you’ll need four pieces of wood for the outer frame and four pieces for the inner “lip” that the canvas will sit on. The outer frame should be larger than your canvas, and the inner lip pieces should be slightly smaller than the canvas to allow for the gap.
- Construct the Outer Frame: Cut your wood to size and join the corners using wood glue and screws or nails. Ensure the frame is square.
- Attach the Inner Lip: Attach the inner lip pieces to the inside back of the outer frame. These pieces will hold the canvas. The gap between the canvas and the outer frame is typically about 1/4 inch.
- Mount the Canvas: Place your gallery wrap canvas into the frame. Use small L-brackets or wood screws to attach the canvas from the back of the frame into the wood stretcher bars.
- Add Hanging Hardware: Attach D-rings or a wire to the back of the frame for hanging a canvas painting.
Method 2: Using a Ready-Made Picture Frame for Canvas
For a more traditional look, or when you don’t want the hassle of building a frame, a pre-made picture frame for canvas is a convenient option.
Selecting the Right Pre-Made Frame
When choosing a pre-made frame, consider the following:
- Size: The frame’s opening should match the outer dimensions of your stretched canvas.
- Depth: The frame’s rabbet (the inner lip that holds the artwork) needs to be deep enough to accommodate your canvas and its stretcher bars.
- Style: The frame’s design, color, and material should complement your artwork and your decor.
Mounting Canvas Art within a Traditional Frame
This process involves placing your stretched canvas into a standard frame.
Steps for Mounting Canvas Art:
- Check Frame Fit: Gently place your stretched canvas into the chosen frame to ensure it fits snugly.
- Secure the Canvas: Most traditional frames come with backing board and fasteners. Place your canvas onto the backing board, ensuring it’s centered. Then, carefully place the frame around the canvas and secure the backing to the frame. This can be done with small nails, points, or clips that come with the frame.
- Add Hanging Hardware: Attach D-rings to the sides of the frame, about one-third of the way down from the top. Then, thread picture wire through the D-rings and twist it securely. Ensure the wire is taut but has a little slack so the frame can hang properly.
Method 3: DIY Canvas Framing Techniques
For a personalized touch and cost savings, DIY canvas framing is a rewarding option. This can range from creating simple wooden frames to more elaborate designs.
Building a Simple Wood Frame
This is a popular DIY canvas framing approach.
Materials:
- Wood (e.g., pine, poplar) cut to the desired frame dimensions.
- Wood glue
- Brad nails or screws
- Saw (miter saw is ideal for clean corners)
- Measuring tape
- Sandpaper
- Paint, stain, or varnish (optional)
- Mounting hardware
Steps:
- Measure Your Canvas: Get the exact width, height, and depth of your stretched canvas.
- Cut Wood: Cut four pieces of wood. For a standard frame, you’ll need two pieces for the top and bottom, and two for the sides. The length of the top and bottom pieces will match the width of your canvas. The side pieces will match the height of your canvas. Important: If you want mitered corners (angled cuts), you’ll need to cut each piece at a 45-degree angle. The longest point of the angle should extend to the outer edge of your desired frame size.
- Assemble the Frame:
- Mitered Corners: Apply wood glue to the angled ends of the wood pieces. Join them together to form a rectangle. Use a clamp to hold them in place while the glue dries. You can reinforce the corners with small brad nails or screws driven from the outside into the adjoining piece.
- Butt Joints (Simpler): Apply wood glue to the ends of the wood. Butt one end of a side piece against the end of a top piece. Secure with glue and nails/screws. Repeat for all four corners.
- Create a Lip (Optional but Recommended): To hold the canvas securely, you can add a small lip on the inside of the frame. You can do this by gluing smaller strips of wood or by routing a groove into the inside edge of the frame pieces before assembly. This lip will cradle the edges of your canvas.
- Sand and Finish: Once the glue is dry, sand the entire frame to smooth any rough edges. Apply paint, stain, or varnish as desired and let it dry completely.
- Mount Canvas Art: Place your stretched canvas into the frame, resting it on the lip. Secure the canvas to the frame from the back using small screws, points, or even a heavy-duty staple gun if the frame is sturdy enough.
- Add Hanging Hardware: Attach D-rings and picture wire to the back of the frame for hanging a canvas painting.
Framing a Canvas Without a Wooden Frame (Simple Edge Finishing)
If you’ve stretched canvas yourself and like the minimalist look, you can simply finish the edges of the wood stretcher bars.
Steps:
- Staple Tightly: Ensure the canvas is stretched very tightly and all staples are on the back.
- Paint or Stain Edges: You can paint the edges of the wood stretcher bars to match your artwork, a complementary color, or a neutral tone. Gesso can be applied first for a smoother finish.
- Add Hanging Hardware: Attach D-rings or a sawtooth hanger directly to the wood stretcher bars on the back of the canvas. This is the simplest way to prepare your canvas for hanging a canvas painting.
Advanced Canvas Framing Techniques
For a more polished look or for valuable artwork, consider these advanced methods.
Using a Mat with a Frame
While less common for standard stretched canvases (as the canvas already has depth), a mat can be used with canvases that have been mounted onto a rigid board and then placed in a frame. This adds a sophisticated border and can help protect the artwork from touching the glass if you opt for a framed piece with a glass covering.
Custom Framing Considerations
For valuable or irreplaceable artworks, custom framing is often the best choice. A professional framer can advise on:
- Archival Materials: Using acid-free mats and backing to preserve the artwork.
- UV-Protective Glass: To prevent fading from sunlight.
- Specialized Hardware: For secure and appropriate hanging.
- Custom Frame Designs: Tailored to your specific artwork and decor.
Hanging a Canvas Painting Safely and Securely
Once your canvas is framed, the final step is hanging a canvas painting. Proper hanging ensures your artwork remains secure and looks its best.
Choosing the Right Hanging Hardware
The type of hardware you need depends on the weight of your framed canvas and the type of wall you have.
- D-Rings and Picture Wire: The most common method for framed artwork. Choose D-rings appropriate for the frame’s size and weight. Picture wire should be rated for significantly more than the artwork’s weight.
- Sawtooth Hangers: Good for lighter to medium-weight pieces and frames that already have a central groove at the top.
- Picture Hooks: Used in conjunction with wire or D-rings, these hook into the wall (often with a nail). Choose hooks rated for the weight of your piece.
- French Cleats: A very secure system for heavier pieces. It involves two interlocking brackets, one attached to the wall and one to the frame.
- Wall Anchors: For drywall, especially when hanging heavier items, you’ll need to screw into wall anchors for secure support.
The Hanging Process
- Mark the Wall: Hold your framed canvas against the wall at the desired height. Use a pencil to lightly mark the wall where the top of the frame will be.
- Measure for Hooks: Measure the distance from the top of the frame to the picture wire when it’s pulled taut. Subtract this distance from your wall mark to find the correct placement for your hook(s).
- Install Hardware: Use a level to ensure your hook(s) are straight. Screw or nail them into the wall, using wall anchors if necessary.
- Hang the Artwork: Carefully lift the framed canvas and hang the wire or D-rings onto the installed hook(s).
- Check Level: Use a level on top of the frame to ensure it’s hanging straight. Adjust the artwork slightly if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can I frame a canvas without stretching it first?
A1: Yes, you can. If your canvas is on a flexible backing or unmounted, you can use adhesive spray or acid-free tape to mount it onto a rigid board (like foam core or mat board) and then frame it like a traditional print. This often involves a frame with a glass or acrylic cover.
Q2: What is the difference between a traditional frame and a floater frame?
A2: A traditional frame surrounds the entire edge of the canvas, with the artwork sitting behind the frame’s lip. A floater frame canvas has a gap between the canvas edge and the frame, making the canvas appear to float within the frame.
Q3: Is stretching canvas difficult?
A3: Stretching canvas requires some practice, but it’s a manageable skill for most DIYers. Tools like canvas pliers help achieve the necessary tension.
Q4: How do I choose the right size picture frame for canvas?
A4: For traditional frames, the frame’s opening should match the outer dimensions of your stretched canvas. For floater frame canvas, the frame is typically larger than the canvas to create the floating effect. Always measure your canvas carefully.
Q5: What are some easy DIY canvas framing techniques?
A5: Simple methods include using pre-made frames, creating basic wooden frames with butt joints, or simply painting the edges of wood stretcher bars for a minimalist look.
Q6: How deep should a frame be for a stretched canvas?
A6: The frame’s rabbet depth needs to be at least as deep as your stretched canvas, including the wood stretcher bars, to ensure the canvas sits flush or slightly recessed within the frame.
Q7: Can I use a frame that’s slightly larger than my canvas?
A7: For traditional frames, it’s best to have the opening match the canvas size precisely. For floater frame canvas, the frame is designed to be larger to accommodate the canvas and the desired gap.
By following these steps and choosing the canvas framing options that best suit your artwork and style, you can beautifully display your paintings and protect them for years to come. Whether you opt for a modern floater frame canvas or a classic traditional frame, the process of mounting canvas art and hanging a canvas painting is a rewarding part of the art experience.