Affordable Jersey Frame

After years of collecting, I finally have space to display my collection of soccer jerseys.

The cost of jersey display cases was out of my price range so I decided to have a go at making my own.

With the exception of some odds and ends I had laying around this cost me about $40.

1. Glass ($13)

2. 1-in x 6-in x 8-ft Primed MDF ($10)

3. 1-in x 2-in x 4-ft Square Unfinished Pine Board ($3ea)

4. 1/8" Underlayment for Spline Inserts

5. Gorilla Glue Off-white Wood Adhesive

6. Minwax Color-Changing 8-oz Natural Wood Filler

7. Rust-Oleum Gray, Rust-Oleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover ($4)

8. Black, Rust-Oleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover Satin ($4)

9. Screws

10. Spray Glue

11. Black Cloth ($5)

For me this is the key to the project. Glass is expensive. Make a habit of popping into your local second hand store. I'm sure this was absolutely worth $160 to someone at some point. But for me and my purpose, $12.99 is a much better deal.

I carry a small tape measure in my glovebox that is marked out with the typical dimensions I look for. 28" x 39"

Pick your favorite tape measure and start measuring.

If the new frame is the same size as the old frame there will be no issues with the glass fitting. (Unless it's crooked)

Measure the width of your work piece. Mine had rounded edges so taking the edges was required. Subtract for blade widths (5*1/8=5/8) and divide by four.

I don't trust myself so I like to allow lots of wiggle room. The internal dimensions are 28" x 39" so I cut my pieces to 46" and 50". I sanded the under-side of the face piece and top of the side piece for optimal glue adhesion. Glued it up and fastened with pneumatic nails.

Don't ever cut corners unless you're actually cutting corners. Someday I'll get a better miter saw but until then I'll deal with what I've got and double check my angles. I've learned thru trial and error that the 45° mark on my saw is closer to 47°. Use a Speed Square and check before you cut.

I cut off a small piece that I could use underneath to hold my frame in place.

Set your pieces in place and make sure your corners are good.

First off, I can't recommend this jig enough. Credit to Make Something on YouTube. Their jig was made for smaller frames. I added the slot and adjustable brace to hold my large work pieces in place.

Set the blade height no higher than the inside corner of the frame. A picture of this would have been helpful. Cutting deeper isn't the end of the world but you'll have more trimming and sanding down the road.

I set my fence, made the cut, and switched to the next frame corner. It ended up being a lot of resetting my work pieces to ensure the spline cuts would be uniform on all four corners. A detail that no one would ever notice. I recommend setting your work pieces, and adjusting the fence to make all cuts on the corner before moving on to the next corner. It's up to you.

This is the third frame I have made so I had some left-overs from the prior makes. I used leftover 1/8" underlayment from a different project for my spline inserts. Use lots of glue. Square your corners and clamp them up. Make sure they are square or your glass won't fit.

I like to use my oscillating tool to remove the inserts. I've seen others sand them down. Either way your going to end up sanding the corners.

The difference between a good carpenter and a great carpenter is how well they hide their mistakes. And that's why we use wood filler. I like to use a putty knife for some parts. Other parts are easier to apply with your fingers. Let it cure and sand it down. I used 80 grit to take out the big mistakes followed by 220 grit to prep for paint.

Primer is the key to a good finish. I like gray primer because it's dark but still different enough that from my finish color that you can see the difference. One coat of primer is enough. When it comes to the top coat, lots of thin coats. Don't get impatient. I use an entire can per frame.

If everything has gone to plan the glass will fit. To secure the glass cut the offsets. These will hold the space between the glass and display board. Consider the distance from the glass to the back of the side piece, space needed for what's being displayed, the width of the display board, the space behind the display board to secure it to the side pieces. All these should be considered when determining the dimensions of your offsets. Paint them to match.

Predrill the offsets. I used a screwdriver because I didn't want to risk power tools damaging anything at this point.

I like to use the picture out of the frame I've salvaged for the display board. It's one less expense and you know it fits. On a personal note, I like to turn it around so the old picture can be seen from the rear. Just a little reminder of what it used to be.

Use the spray glue liberally. Let is get tacky before covering it with the cloth. Be extra careful to not get the cloth dirty. Once the glue has cured the edges can be trimmed with a sharp utility knife.

I like to use a solid piece of aluminum for mounting. It screws into the frame making it safe and sturdy. Use two level drywall anchors and you're guaranteed to have it hung straight.

I didn't have any black screws so I had to use what was available. I went back and painted them black with acrylic paint and a Q-Tip.

To secure the display board I used a handful of glazing clips.