Have you ever found the perfect piece of canvas art, only to realize that framing it costs more than the art itself? You’re not alone! Professional framing can get pricey, with custom frames for large pieces easily running into the hundreds of dollars.
In this blog post, I will show you three easy ways to frame canvas art that looks every bit as high-end as the store-bought ones. And it only costs $20-$30.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
- Stylish Pre-Made Frames You Can Buy Today
- DIY Frame Method 1: 1/4″-bezel slim floating frame
- DIY Frame Method 2: Chunky ¾” Floating Frame
- DIY Frame Method 3: No-Power-Tool Flush Mount Frame
- Cost Comparison & Pros + Cons
- Summary
Stylish Pre-Made Frames You Can Buy Today
Canvas art is one of the easiest ways to bring personality and style into your home. A frame not only enhances the look of your artwork but also helps protect it from wear and damage over time.
While unframed canvas pieces are beautiful on their own, adding a frame instantly gives them a polished, gallery-worthy look.
Before we dive into the DIY framing steps, I want to share a few ready-made frame options you can buy today. If one of these fits your style and budget, it might save you the time and effort of building one from scratch.
For canvas 3/4″ – 7/8″ deep, this Amazon store has some good options. Search its store for other frame sizes. I like that it has good ratings and reasonable prices.
Other options I found are the 24×36 antique gold floating frame from Jerry Artamara, Etsy store GetLargePrint that does custom orders (really beautiful products with dovetail biscuits), and this gorgeous 29×37 floating gallery frame from Pottery Barn, which would be great for pictures or posters.
Note that canvases come in all kinds of sizes. This tutorial works for the ones with a depth of 5/8″.
DIY Frame Method 1: 1/4″-bezel slim floating frame
This style allows the canvas to sit slightly away from the edge, giving the art a floating effect. The best part is it hacks corner molding into picture frame, making it an easy DIY.
Step 1. Calculate How Much Molding You’ll Need
The canvas I’m framing measures 24″ x 36″, with a depth of about 5/8″.
To create 45° mitered corners, I added the frame thickness (1/4″) to each end—plus an extra 1/8″ gap for the floating effect.
Here’s the simple formula: take your canvas width/height, add two times the frame thickness (for both ends) and two times the gap (to leave space on each side of the canvas). That’s the total length you need to cut for each side.
To cover all four sides, you’ll need:
(canvas width × 2) + (canvas height × 2) + (frame thickness x 8) + (gap × 8) + (kerf × 8)
That comes out to 124 inches in trim for a 24×36 canvas. (24″x2) + (36″x2) + (1/4″x8) + (1/8″x8) + (1/8″x8)
Rather than buying a single 10-foot trim piece (which wouldn’t be quite enough), I decided to get two 6-foot pieces.
Step 2. Choose Your Molding at the Store
For this project, you’ll need 1 ⅛” × 1 ⅛” oak corner molding, which costs around $1.94 per linear foot. This type of trim is perfect for DIY picture frames because it already has both the sides and back supports. The ⅞” interior depth fits a ⅝”-deep canvas just right.
Here’s the tricky part: at my local Home Depot, these moldings only came in 10-foot lengths, and many of them weren’t straight. I had to go through several boards to find ones that weren’t warped, bowed, or twisted.
Pro tip: To check if lumber is straight, place one end on the floor, lift up the other end to eye level. Any twist or bow will make it difficult to get tight, 90-degree mitered corners.
If you can’t find straight pieces, check another home-improvement store or lumberyard. Most stores can also cut the trim to size for you—just ask a staff member for help.
While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up the rest of your supplies (wood glue, clamps, stain or paint, clamps, and hardware) so you’re ready to start the project when you get home.
Step 3. Measure and Cut the Molding
Use a miter box or miter saw to make 45-degree cuts for each corner.
Apply painter’s tape over the section where you plan to cut. This helps prevent tear-out. So your joints stay crisp and clean.
Position the trim with the front pointing upward and the support backing sitting on the saw table, push it against the fence tightly:
To speed things up, make all four cuts in one direction first. Then, turn the saw table to the opposite side and cut the remaining four ends. This keeps your angles consistent and saves setup time.
Getting the parallel pieces to match perfectly in length can be tricky—especially since it’s hard to mark corner molding accurately. Here’s an easy fix: line up the two pieces side by side and mark the top edge directly. This way, your opposite sides will be identical in length and your frame will stay square.
Step 4. Assemble and Glue the Frame
Lay all four molding pieces on a flat surface to form a rectangle and double-check that each corner lines up cleanly.
Dry fit with the canvas inside. If you’re happy with the fit, move on to glue up.
Apply a thin, even layer of wood glue to each miter joint. Bring the corners together and clamp the frame firmly while the glue dries. If you don’t have corner clamps, painter’s tape works quite well as well. Stretch it tightly across each joint to hold everything in place.
Wipe away any excess glue with a damp cloth before it dries.
For extra strength, you can reinforce the support pieces with a heavy duty stapler and 1/4″ staples.
Step 5. Finish and Mount the Canvas
Once the glue has fully cured, sand the frame lightly to smooth out any rough edges or uneven joints. Wipe away any dust. Then, apply your choice of stain, paint, or clear sealer.
Next, position your canvas inside the frame. Use playing cards as spacer to ensure the gaps are even all around. Secure the canvas from the back with short screws. Predrill to prevent the wood from splitting.
Finally, attach a a sawtooth hanger or D-ring to the back of the frame for mounting.
I made this texture art a few years ago with joint compound and a few cans of sample paint. Still one of my favorite modern art. If you want to know how to create one, I will write a tutorial for it.
If you want to see the process in action, check out this video tutorial by @textuuri on Instagram. It explains everything in great details.
DIY Frame Method 2: Chunky ¾” Floating Frame
The second method I’m sharing was inspired by Jenna Sue Design’s tutorial from 2020 — a great DIY idea that convinced me to make my own version.
Back then, I had very little experience with power tools (and honestly, didn’t own many). So I enlisted my husband’s help to build it together. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I loved how it turned out — and to this day, I still have that “amateur” frame hanging in our home.
Building a Mitered Picture Frame with 1x2s
The first few steps are similar to Method 1. The main difference is the material: instead of 1⅛” corner molding, we used 1×2 select pine boards.
Select pine is a higher-quality wood than common board, and it really makes a difference. If you want a more polished, high-end look, choose smooth, straight lumber. Lower-grade wood tends to warp and show imperfections that can make your project look “DIY”.
Measuring and Cutting the 1x2s
Since 1x2s are fairly sturdy, you’ll want to use a miter saw for clean 45° cuts. As before, remember to account for:
- frame thickness on both ends
- about ⅛” of gap for the floating effect
- blade kerf (the saw’s cutting width)
In Jenna’s tutorial, she used scrap wood pieces (ripped down to ½” thick) attached diagonally at each corner. I didn’t have a table saw or nail gun at the time, so I got creative — using 1×3 primed boards as backing instead.
Because 1x2s actually measure ¾” × 1½”, adding a “1-by” material creates a ¾” recessed depth, which fits a standard canvas perfectly.
How to Assemble the Frame Without Corner or Band Clamps
Here’s where teamwork came in! My husband came up with a clever way to hold the corners tightly while the wood glue dried. Glue alone is strong, but to reinforce the mitered corners, I added a few nails from the top and bottom — so they’re hidden from the front or sides.
Without a nail gun, it was definitely tricky. My husband carefully hammered while I held the pieces together with both hands and a foot. Not the most glamorous setup — but it worked!
Once the frame was secure, we attached the canvas from the back using screws. You can use nails, but screws make it much easier to swap out the artwork later on.
Close up of how it looks from the back
I painted this abstract landscape using Emily Jeffords Studio’s In Rosie Flight as inspiration. Mine is not nearly as intricate as the original, but the colors in this painting are beautiful.
Framed artwork from a distance.
Close up of where the nails are. They’re only at the bottom and top, not visible.
You can stain or paint the wood frame to create contrast. I like the raw wood finish, and kept it natural for all of my frames.
DIY Frame Method 3: No-Power-Tool Flush Mount Frame
This is by far the easiest and most beginner-friendly way to make a DIY canvas art frame — no power tools required!
All you need is a miter box, which is a small hand tool that helps you make precise angled cuts. For around $20, you can get a good-quality one like the Stanley Miter Box, which has good reviews and can handle trim pieces up to 4 inches wide and 2½ inches thick.
You can use it to cut ¼” × ¾” screen trim or other decorative molding to create a modern frame similar to the styles from the earlier methods.
To attach the frame to the canvas, simply glue the pieces directly to the edges. If your cuts are snug enough, you might not even need glue at all! Check out how this artist framed his painting this way on TikTok.
For one of my projects, I framed a printable artwork (tutorial to come), and it fit so tightly I actually had to press it into the wood frame — no adhesive necessary.
Isn’t this pretty? Adding a wood frame makes artwork pop.
Cost Comparison & Pros + Cons
Using a 24″ × 36″ canvas frame as an example, here’s how all three DIY framing methods compare to a store-bought option.
| Option | Approx. Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon 24×36 Floating Frame | $102 | – Saves time – Ready to hang | – Expensive – Not customizable |
| ¼” Bezel Slim Floating Frame (DIY) | $30.22(1⅛” × 1⅛” oak corner molding, wood glue, screws) | – Real wood frame – Custom – Cost-effective | – Some boards may be bowed or twisted – Requires a miter box or miter saw |
| ¾” Chunky Floating Frame (DIY) | $19.88(1x2x8 select pine, wood glue, screws) | – Real wood frame – Custom – Cost-effective | – Requires miter saw – Needs backing support |
| No-Power-Tool Flush Mount Frame (DIY) | $18.90(¼” × ¾” × 96″ pine screen molding, wood glue, screws) | – Real wood frame – Custom – No power tools required – Least expensive option | – Frame is glued directly to canvas (not removable) |
If you’re after the easiest beginner project, the flush mount frame is your best bet—simple, fast, and under $20. For a more professional, gallery-style finish, go with the slim or chunky floating frame. Either option gives you a high-end look for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought frame.
Summary
There you have it! Three easy ways to build your own picture frame that do not require fancy tools or complex builds.
If you ever build one of these, make sure to tag me on Instagram @funhomebuilding, or email me. I’d love to see how you style your art!
Excellent ideas, I will be learning how to use a miter saw. May thanks!
You’re very welcome. It’s a useful tool to have.
WoW! Thank you so much . I Will try it for sure 👍
You will like it!