I made these DIY frames on which to stretch some painted canvases. The frames are constructed from some scraps of 1" thick oak stair treads and joined using half lap joints. I recommend using a softer wood than oak. This took a little bit of practice, but the frames are easy and cheap to make. Start with some painted or blank canvases. I recommend making two or three at the same time, because this project is made faster with repeat cuts.

1. instructables
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas
by BobsWoodStuff
I made these DIY frames on which to stretch some painted canvases. The frames are constructed from some scraps
of 1" thick oak stair treads and joined using half lap joints. I recommend using a softer wood than oak.
This took a little bit of practice, but the frames are easy and cheap to make.
If you like the video or the project, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Supplies:
Supplies:
T50 1/4" staples
Magic Cat painting
Surf Shack painting
Tools:
Arrow T50 staple gun
Canvas pliers
Titebond I - 1 quart
Empire 6" combination square
Stanley 12' tape measure
Kreg bench dogs
DeWalt trigger clamps
(Supplies links are Amazon a liate links)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O00-LgNdtFQ
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 1
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2. Step 1: Start With Some Canvases
Step 2: Measure the Painting
Start with some painted or blank canvases. I recommend making two or three at the same time, because this
project is made faster with repeat cuts.
Measure the height and width of the painted part of the canvas. This will be the nal size of the frame.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 2

3. Step 3: Rip the Wood Frame Pieces
Step 4: Cut the Frame Pieces to Length
Step 5: Insert a Dado Stack Into the Table Saw
Rip the pieces of wood on the tablesaw to their nal width. I am ripping the pieces to 1"x1", but if you have thinner
wood to work with, you should make it 1-1/4" wide.
Using a miter saw or a crosscut sled on the table saw, cut the frame pieces to length. The side pieces will be the full
height of the panting, and the top and bottom pieces will be the full width of the painting, because they will
overlap.
You can see my video on how to make a crosscut sled here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgSG54mrD18
The dado stack is optional, but it saves a lot of time. This can also be done with a regular blade and multiple passes.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 3

4. Step 6: Mark the Ends
Step 7: Set a Stop Block and Make Cuts
On one of the frame pieces, use a pencil or marking gauge to mark half the thickness of the frame.
Use this mark to set the height of your dado stack or tablesaw blade.
Set up a stop block on your crosscut sled that at the
full width of the frame piece. For example, this frame
is 1" wide, so I am setting the stop block at 1".
Cut the shoulder of the joint by putting your piece
against the stop block, and then repeat with more
passes to remove the rest of the material.
Do this for all of the frame pieces, removing half of
the piece on the ends, on the same face of the piece.
The dado stack will ruin your crosscut sled
by making a large kerf in it, so use an old
one or make a sled that is dedicated for
dado stacks and angled cuts.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 4
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5. Step 8: Glue and Clamp the Corners
Step 9: Nail or Staple the Corners
Glue the corners with wood glue and clamp them together.
Check the corners with a square, or measure the diagonals to make sure the frame is square.
Once the glue has dried, remove the clamps and nish nail or crown staple the corners of the frame.
If you don't have clamps for the previous step, you can nail the corners while the glue is wet and it should help
clamp them while the glue dries.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 5
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6. Step 10: True Up the Frame Surface
Step 11: Align the Frame to the Painting
On my frames, a couple of the pieces stood up above the other ones, because my half lap joint wasn't perfect.
Hand plane the high parts until they are ush with the other pieces, or sand them down.
Then add a slight chamfer to the corner with a plane or sandpaper, so the canvas is not wrapping around a sharp-
edged corner.
I drew a line on the back of the canvas that shows where the painting ends. This helps a lot with aligning the
painting.
Place the frame within this rectangle.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 6

7. Step 12: Begin Stapling
Step 13: Staple the Rest
Pull up one of the sides and staple it in the middle.
Then pull up the opposite side and stretch it tight and staple it in the middle.
A set of canvas pliers helps a lot to stretch it tightly, but it is possible to do with just your hands, although more
di cult.
A hand-operated stapler also works, but a pneumatic stapler is much easier. See the tools list at the beginning.
Rotate the frame and staple and stretch the other two sides. At this point you will only have 4 parts stapled.
Once the middle is stapled and stretched, continue that process, working outward towards the corners.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 7

8. Step 14: Fold the Corners
Step 15: Install the Hanging Hardware
Fold the corners neatly and staple them to the back of the frame. This fold should hide all the excess canvas in the
corner. This is the "hospital corners" method from upholstery.
Generally, the sides of a canvas are more visible than the top and bottom when it is hanging, so the thicker part of
the hospital corners should be on the top and bottom of the frame, not on the side.
Screw an eyehook into each side of the frame, and stretch a wire between them. It it now ready to hang or to paint!
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 8
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9. Thanks for this tuto, I will try to do it !
This is good info, and nicely presented!
Step 16: Enjoy! It's Done!
These two paintings came out very nice on their frames, and I will use this process a lot in the future to make
cheaper canvases and for using paint-by-numbers canvases.
Thanks for looking and make sure to check out my Youtube.
DIY Frame to Stretch Canvas: Page 9
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