Walking through antique stores, craft stores, and home decor stores, I constantly see cute wooden frames with quotes or photos. I love them! I like to fill our house with meaningful decorations and just like the way these rustic frames look. So, I looked at a few and thought to myself, hey, I can make those.
Why do I always do this? I think I can make something rather than buy it and more than half the time I end up having a ‘to make’ list longer than my ‘to do’ list. That’s what Pinterest is for though, right? Dream boards of projects I might someday accomplish. Well here’s another project to add to your list. But this one is super easy and can be finished in one day (including dry time!)
I decided to figure out how to make a DIY wooden frame that looked just like the ones in the stores. So I went to the lumber store with my measurements and got started. The great part was, I was able to finish three in just two nap times. (I base my projects on how many nap times it will take to complete them.) This DIY wooden frame was really easy. Follow these simple instructions and get making!
This post contains affiliate links. The product I found was only for the purpose of helping you in this process. If you decide to purchase through my link, thank you!
What you’ll need for your DIY wooden frame
1×2 pine board
1×4 pine board
Saw (unless you calculate your dimensions before hand and ask the nice people at the lumber store to cut the wood for you!)
Brad nailer
Sand paper
Paint
Step one: figure out your size
Decide what size you want to make your frames so you know how much wood to buy. I did my calculations based on how many I could get from the fewest number of boards. For example, if I purchased a 12 foot board, I could get eight 1.5 foot boards cut. You can make a variety of sizes. I ended up making some smaller and some larger so I could hang them like a gallery wall in our play room.
Step two: go to the store and buy your supplies
Visit the local lumber store and purchase enough 1×2’s and 1×4’s to make the cuts you need. If you already know your measurements, most lumber stores will make the cuts for you. (This is the route I went for the 1×4’s. A mini van just doesn’t haul lumber like I’d like it to.) I didn’t have them cut my 1×2’s because I wanted a more precise measurement so I did that at home in the next step.
Step three: go home and start building
Now comes the fun part. Start building! Layout the pieces how you want them. I used three 1×4’s for this frame so I set them side by side. You could do two or even just one. I wouldn’t recommend four unless you add support to the back of the frame. Then I set my 1×2 next to each side to get a measurement and I cut them. All the pieces were cut and ready to go.
Step Four (optional): Sand your boards
I decided to lightly sand each board. You can skip this step if you want. They will look a bit rustic at the end anyway or you can sand them for a smoother surface.
Step five: Paint
The last step I did during nap time #1 was to paint the boards. I prefer to paint before I put them together because I like the outside frame to be a different color than the inside. If you want to wait until the end, then skip this step for now.
I let my paint dry overnight. Not because it needed that much time, but because my kids were awake by the time it dried.
Step six: put it all together
Now you get to put it all together. To do this, lay out the 1×4’s. Hold them together tightly and connect one 1×2 with 2-3 nails depending on length. Do the opposite side next and then work your way around. Once you have nailed in each side, your frame should be sturdy with all boards tight together.
And you’re done. I did some hand lettering to mine, but you can be creative. You could glue clips on to hang pictures, paint it with chalkboard paint for a menu board…the sky’s the limit!
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