Craftiness: DIY Hanging Half Frame

DIY Hanging Half Frame

Ever since moving into our flat two and a half years ago, I’ve really enjoyed gradually filling all the blank, white spaces on our walls. It’s so satisfying to bring a bit of life and personality into the home with prints I’ve painted or bought, as well as photos of special moments. Recently, however, I’ve been looking for new and exciting ways to hang my pictures, as the same old box frames all over the place get a little repetitive. When Grace and Fran contacted me I was eager to create a hanging half frame to really show off a large print. I’ve been out and about more now that the weather is warming up, and I’ve been snapping away with my camera everywhere I go. I blew up one of my photos to A2 and had it printed at my local print shop to use as the focal point for my frame. Framing large images can often be very pricey, but this tutorial certainly won’t break the bank. —Teri @ The Lovely Drawer

Materials

-Print / photograph in your chosen size

-2 pieces of lightweight wooden strips (e.g. Balsa wood)

-Wood stain and cloth

-Natural rope

-2 eye screws large enough to fit the rope through

-56g/2oz. polymer clay block

-Stapler / staple gun

-All purpose glue

-Scissors

-Ruler

-Pencil

-X-acto knife

Steps

1. Follow the recommended temperature to preheat your oven for the polymer clay. Use the X-acto knife to cut two even blocks of clay. Roll these in the palm of your hand until round and smooth. Use a pencil to make a hole all the way through. You can then use something wider to make the hole larger until your rope fits through the middle. Place on a baking tray and bake for the recommended time.

2. While the clay is baking, use a cloth to rub the stain into the wood, giving a richer, deeper tone. It’s a good idea to put some old sheets down or do this outside so as not to ruin a home surface. Leave the wood to dry completely.

3. Take one of the wood strips and measure about an inch in from either end and mark with a pencil.

step 3 — 4. Then twist both eye screws into these points, until fully in and secure.

5. Then lay the top of your print facedown over what will be the top wooden strip (with the eye screws in). This will be the back of the picture. Align the paper carefully so that it’s placed centrally and straight. Then staple either end and go along the wooden strip, stapling to secure. I used an ordinary stapler opened up for this, as the wood was so soft, but harder woods may require a staple gun. Do the same with the bottom of the print to attach to the other wooden strip. For extra hold you could use the all purpose glue to fix the print to the wood before stapling.

6. Thread both of your clay beads onto the rope and thread a rope end through one of the eye screws. Tie a tight single knot and then do the same on the other side. Trim the excess and use the all purpose glue to seal the raw edges. This will stop them from fraying and the knot from untying.