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How to Make DIY Picture Frames With a Miter Box

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Watch This Project: DIY Picture Frames With a Miter Box

As much as I love power tools, I do realize that not everyone who reads this blog has them, which is why I wanted to put together a tutorial on how to make picture frames with a miter box instead.

And what’s awesome is that you can literally frame anything or any size just by cutting it to the length you need.

Forget pulling out the intimidating tools…

Now we can easily frame anything (pictures, bathroom mirrors, printables–you name it) with our own picture frames, no matter how big or small!

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames with a Miter Box - Can we made to fit pictures, printables, bathroom mirrors, and more! Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Materials Needed to Make DIY Picture Frames

In fact, the only tools and materials you need are:

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites).

 

Picture Frame Molding is GENIUS!

I know that picture frame molding wasn’t invented, like, yesterday. 🙂

But since I have always bought frames from the thrift store and have never tried to make my own DIY picture frames, I had no idea it even existed!

Typically, when making your own picture frames, you need a router (or a table saw) to create this groove called a rabbet (sounds like “rabbit”).

But picture frame molding already comes routed with a rabbet cut (in various depths), so all you have to do is cut the molding at 45-degree angles and–VOILA!–you’ve got a picture frame.

If you check Amazon, there are a bunch of options for picture frame molding.

Your local home improvement store likely only has a simple wood one like the one I’m using in this project.

Anyhow,  instead of using a powerful compound miter saw power tool to cut the 45-degree angles, we’ll be using a hand-held miter box to do it.

No power tools! 🙂

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Use picture frame molding to make DIY picture frames. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

How to Make DIY Picture Frames Using a Miter Box

Here are the simple steps for making your own picture frames.

STEP 1 – Set Up Your Miter Box

Even if you’ve got power tools, you’ll want to add a miter box to your DIY toolkit.

For about $10 or less (check this one out on Amazon), you can easily cut thin pieces of wood and molding without having to use power tools.

Of course, a compound miter saw is much easier, but not everyone has a big ‘ole power tool accessible to them, right? Or even the space to house it. A miter box can easily be tucked away, though.

Plus, sometimes it’s easier to use a miter box for a quick and easy little cut.

Before you begin cutting, though, tightly clamp the miter box to a tabletop that’s sturdy–maybe a dining room table, a sturdy workstation, etc.

Be sure the clamps don’t get in the way of the wood, though.

Place the picture frame molding against the miter box.

There are three ways you can cut wood with a miter box:

Position #1 – Cut the wood at a straight 90-degree.

Position #2 – Cut the wood at 45-degrees THIS way….

Position #3 – Cut the wood at 45-degrees THAT way….

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Use a miter box to make DIY picture frames easily. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

The first cut is usually at 45 degrees (as shown on the left side of the wood below).

With this cut, we’ll be able to measure how wide we need to make the DIY picture frames.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - How to cut picture frames. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 2: Measure How Wide to Cut Your DIY Picture Frame

For this project, I planned to frame a cleaning checklist for my kids to use to earn points towards an allowance.

 

Download the free customizable cleaning checklist from COIT.

 

(TIP: One viewer on Youtube had a great suggestion to laminate the cleaning checklist so that I can reuse it over and over again without having to print new ones or without removing it from the frame. Love that idea!).

After I printed out the checklist and trimmed it to the size I wanted, I simply placed it on the picture frame, lining up the left side, and then marking the width on the right side.

No measuring tape needed. 🙂

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - How to measure for DIY picture frames. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Mark the length of the picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

When cutting the right side of the picture frame molding with the miter box, line up this marked line…..

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Mark how long your picture frame will be. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

….with the edge of where the blade will cut.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Match the line with the cutting path of the hand saw. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 3: Cut the Right Side of the Picture Frame

At that point, I was then ready to cut the other 45-degree angle.

This was the top piece of the picture frame.

NOTE: Since the picture frame molding can be a bit long, be sure to have someone support the longer side if you don’t have a long table to support it. Otherwise, it may chip off like mine did when I sawed through it.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - When cutting picture frames with a miter box, clamp to a table. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Cutting pieces for a picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Since my picture cleaning checklist was a bit rectangular, the top and bottom were the same, and I re-measured to make the sides.

 

STEP 4: Cut and Glue the Pieces of the DIY Picture Frame

At this point, you should have all the pieces of the picture frame cut out.

If you’re cutting something square, all 4 pieces will be the same length.

You’re now ready to glue them together and then clamp them to dry.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - First glue the picture frame together at the mitered corners. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Clamp the picture frame together while the glue dries. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

You can use the miter saw to also make a privacy window screen, because the idea is the same: cut four pieces of wood using a miter box to create a frame. Only this window screen has a layer of fabric glued over the wooden frame. Very simple!

 

 

(Pssst! You can also get a large picture frame from the thrift store and frame fabric or anything else that’s really pretty. If they have the size you need, why make your own?? 🙂

 

 

STEP 6: Cut Out a Piece of Cardboard

I don’t know about you, but I get so many packages in the mail that it shouldn’t be a problem to find a spare box lying around from which to cut a piece of backing for your DIY picture frame!

Using the checklist, I traced its shape, then cut it out with a utility knife.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Use a cardboard box to cut the picture frame backing. - Thrift Diving

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Cut a piece of cardboard from a box to make a DIY picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

It was a perfect fit! 🙂

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Place a piece of cardboard in the back of the DIY picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 7: Staple the DIY Picture Frame Together

Once the picture frame has had time to dry, remove the clamps and turn it over.

Use a stapler (I’m using this heavy duty stapler) to staple the frame together at the corners for extra reinforcement.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Staple the mitered corners on the back of the picture frame to secure them. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Add a couple of staples to secure the DIY picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 8: Attach Picture Hangers

I like the sawtooth picture hangers (they’re less expensive) because they’re very forgiving, even if you don’t center them exactly.

They’re super easy to attach with a hammer on the back.

Remember to place one on the top and on the side, in case you decide to later use your DIY picture frame in a different orientation later! 🙂

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Hammer on a couple of picture hangers on the back. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 9: Sand Smooth

Using 150-grit sandpaper, sand the custom picture frame, paying particular attention to the corners where it can be a little sharp.

NOTE: If you got glue on the wood and didn’t wipe it off properly, be sure to sand it off if you can. Otherwise, if you apply wood stain over glue, it will leave blotchy spots! Just a helpful tip. 🙂

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Sand the picture frame smooth. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

STEP 10: Use a Light-Duty Stapler to Secure the Picture and Cardboard

For this project, I didn’t get glass cut, but you can easily head to a local hardware store (check your local listings for who offers this service; not every home improvement store does).

I’m did end up laminating my checklist so that I can reuse it over and over without having to remove the back.

To secure the back, I used a light-duty stapler to staple into the edge of the wood in the back, which was enough to hold the cardboard and checklist inside.

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Lightly staple the back of the picture frame to hold in the picture and cardboard. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

The Final DIY Picture Frame!

I couldn’t believe it was so easy to make! All those pieces of artwork that hubby has stashed in the closet can now be framed.

I’m not a professional framer so who knows if I’ll stretch it properly, but this would be a pretty good DIY solution for framing!

You can leave it natural or paint it.

(Psst! Check out my post on 10 tips to create aewsome DIY wall art for your picture frames).

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Natural picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

…or you can paint it like I did, laminate your checklist or printable, add a couple of layers of paint, lightly distress it, and there ya go! 🙂

(I used a layer of white on the frame, covered with a second coat of light blue, then lightly distressed the DIY picture frame).

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames - Turquoise - light blue DIY picture frame. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

You can frame pretty much anything, including favorite pictures!

 

Frame Anything: How to Make DIY Picture Frames -Frame your favorite pictures. Get the tutorial! - Thrift Diving

 

Is It Cheaper to Make Your Own Frames?

That depends. Here’s my final verdict on DIY picture frames:

YES

  • If have odd-shaped items that you’d like to frame, that would be too expensive to pay for custom-sized frames. 
  • If you have a builder’s grade bathroom mirror that you’d like to frame around it. Very easy to do!

NO

  • Picture frame molding can be expensive. The piece I bought was $12 and I had enough for this frame with a little left over for a smaller frame. A bit pricey, yes.
  • If you have common-shaped items (e.g. 4×6, 5×7, 8×10), then by all means, go buy picture frames from the thrift store. It’s cheaper to do that.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? Then be sure to SAVE it on Pinterest!

How to Make DIY Picture Frames Without Using Power Tools! - Thrift Diving

Have you ever made your own DIY picture frames? How did they turn out?

Be sure to check out my Project Gallery for more DIY projects!

 

 

 

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19 Comments

  1. Darlene gohn says:

    I’m making shadow boxes have them made a put together but I’m using lexan we have the hinges on so how would I make the frame like you did for this project???

    1. Hi Darlene,
      Great to hear from you. I’m not sure what you mean by lexan? Please email me and send pictures to [email protected] so I can see what you’re talking about and how your project is turning out! 🙂 I’d love to help!

  2. Thanks for the question, and it’s a good one. The problem with doing it without the miter box is that your cuts won’t be exactly even. That’s pretty important for getting a clean cut. I definitely would invest the $8 – $10 for a miter box and using that to get clean cuts.

  3. CHRISTINA ONOUFRIOU says:

    hello! very helpful video!! do you think its possible to do it even without miter box??

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