Maple Picture Frame

Please visit the Kitch-n-Crafts blog for a more detailed description of this build! You can also check out our Etsy store if you'd like to purchase a similar hand-made picture frame!

When Kaly told me she needed a picture frame for her desk at work I decided to design a custom profile rather than buy frame moulding and assemble it. I found a nice piece of maple with some pretty grain and went to work.

After you've found the right piece of wood it's time to cross-cut to length, adding a few extra inches for wiggle room. Then rip both the width and thickness to size the rough dimensions. Use a router, table saw and belt sander to create the profile of the moulding for the frame. I went with a stepped roundover on the outside edge and a low angle chamfer on the inside. This is also the time to cut a rabbet on the back side inside edge to take the photo, glass, and backing.

Corner clamps are very useful tools for making picture frames. After the moulding was shaped to the desired profile I cut the four sides to length, making sure to angle the mitres in the proper direction. I spread glue on the mating surfaces and clamped up. This was a two step process due to the limiting size of the clamps. After glue up I noticed my corners weren't perfectly tight, so I used the old woodworker's trick of mixing sawdust from cutting the workpiece with wood glue to make a wood filler that matches color perfectly.

I prefer to use home-made finishes to store bought finishes. This frame was finished with a single coat of thinned boiled linseed oil plus two coats of a mixture of boiled linseed oil and finishing paste wax. The top coat was applied with #0000 steel wool to give a nice satin sheen.

After the wood has been finished, attach the swivel clips to the back. You're then ready to put in your glass, photo, and back stand.

I hope you found this instructable helpful. Please comment below if you tried making this, and be sure to post photos!