The Different Picture Frame

Hello you! This Instructable is about how to make a different picture frame with picture slide-in feature. In my Video you also see how I made it. Have fun watching & reading! Let's go!

Step 1: The Wood

I start to build my frame using a wood slab. It's measurements are 3 by 1cm and it has a length of 100cm. I use beech wood which was easy to get in a hardware store where i live, but i think it can look good with other types of wood too.

Step 2: Measure and Cut

It's the first time for me working with a mitre saw so I keep the angles at 45° and 90° except the one which will be for the stand of the picture frame.

So, start to measure the picture that you want to frame. The short side of every piece should have about the size of the picture. You need two longer pieces and two smaller. All four pieces need a 45° angle at both ends, just like it would be at a normal picture frame (see in last picture of this step).

Step 3: Make Slide-In Piece

Note: Since I had the idea to build this kind of picture frame while building I needed to make some extra steps that I leave out in this how to. It's still shown in my video, I hope it doesn't confuse.

Choose one of the long pieces and put a mark at the back about 1cm from top. Use a chisel and hold it at a light angle to remove a very little material. It just needs to be enough for a picture to fit in.

Make this on whole length of the piece (not just the small marked part like shown in the picture).

Step 4: First Glue Up

For this frame you only need a "half frame" at the front, so only glue one side to make the first two pieces stay together. The long piece from last step is one of them. The side with removed wood needs to sit at the back.

Step 5: Find Out the Right Angle for the Stand

Attach the second long piece to the back with some tape and find a nice angle for the picture frame. I used this little trick that I show in the picture and it worked very well. Then recut the piece with a saw.

Step 6: Second Glue Up

Turn around the half frame so that the chiseled side looks up and attach the stand and the second small piece. I'm sure there's also a more professional way to attach than my duct tape version. Make sure to use not too much glue so the squeeze out won't remove the slide in feature.

Step 7: Two More Pieces

Since it didn't look that stable to me I cut these two pieces shown in the pictures. The first is to stabilize the 45 degrees joint, the second for the stand and I marked them while holding them directly to the piece. Cut them and glue them to the frame.

Step 8: Remove Corner

Through gluing the two pieces for the stand I got a corner. Remove this corner with a saw for a better look.

Step 9: Sanding and Finishing

Now sand the frame to your satisfaction and finish it with the finishing product you like. I slowly increased up to 320 grid sanding paper and used mineral oil for finishing.

Step 10: The Final

Choose your favorite picture and it's done!

Hope you like the my spontaneous idea just to rearrange the parts of a common picture frame to make something new and different.

More videos and inspiration on my YouTube Channel Julian Do It . I hope to see you soon :)

Julian

I'm sorry for all spelling mistakes. I'm not a native english speaker, but I'm very happy if you tell me when there's a typo ;)