How to make your own wood picture frames

When they were handing out genes, I didn’t get the refrigerator picture one.

My deoxyribonucleic acid wasn’t programmed for that.

I think someone forgot to tell my chromosomes that pictures on a refrigerator are a thing.

Yep.

The refrigerator picture gene skipped right over me and passed on to the next generation.  I think this explains the current random picture assortment on the fridge in our kitchen.

It just appeared one day with a lunch schedule.

Here's how to make a wood picture frame

 

As for me and my pictures, we prefer frames.

Wood ones.

Frames you can create in an afternoon that look like a farmhouse and are chippy and related by second-cousin-in-marriage to barn wood.

Here’s the step-by-step instructions to make your own.

Here are the supplies you'll need to make the frames

Supplies

5 pieces of 1″ x 2″ x 10″ wood

2 pieces of 1″ x 1″ x 8″ wood

wood glue

gray paint

tiny clothespins

You'll need 1 x 2 boards to make the frames

Step 1:  Lay out wood boards

You can find the wood for this project anywhere.

You can pull it from the scrap pile or have it cut at the home improvement store or get it in a bundle like this at Hobby Lobby.  I used wood just like this on the DIY reclaimed wood monogram project here.

Place your wood boards in a row.

When you are finished, they should form a square.

Add a 1 x 1 x 8 board to the back of the frame

2.  Attach support piece of wood

The 1″ x 1″ x 8″ piece of wood supports the frame.

Lay the wood across the frame of your 10″ x 10″ square and attach with nails or wood glue.

If you attach with glue, let dry before moving.

Attach two small clothes pins to the frame

3.  Attach clothes pins

Glue two tiny clothes pins to the front of the frame.

They should be approximately four inches apart.

Let dry.

Add a picture frame hook to the frame

4.  Add hook

When the frame is complete, attach a hook to the back.

If you simply want to prop the picture frames on a shelf, you can skip this step.

Here's how to make your own wood picture frames

That’s it.

The picture frame is finished and ready for pictures.

Just in case you were curious about our fridge, it’s still covered with announcements and pictures and lunch schedules.

You see, I got the understanding-parent-celebrate-your-creativity-with-expression-on-our-appliances gene….

….which trumps every time. 🙂

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Comments

  1. Image for Sharon H Sharon H

    Miz karianne, "one of these days I'm gonna settle down and do this...." Along with a bunch of other fun things I'd like to mess around with! Love it, thanks for sharing!

  2. Image for Carol Carol

    On the side of my refr. is a calendar and a white board and nothing on the front, but I have made covers for the handles to keep them clean and not get the farm dirt on the nice, white handles. They get washed often, but sure are a help.

  3. Image for Leslie Watkins Leslie Watkins

    Love! Yep! The refrigerator gene skipped a generation here, too. Amazingly it has stayed with my kids and grandkids...and nieces and nephews...the fridge can get a little crowded at times. Love the frames. That may have to be a summer project. ;)

  4. Image for Barbara Barbara

    Sweet and simple! Love the barn wood and clothespins make it easy to change out photos. You are brilliant:) I wasn't going to "clutter" up my refrig....until I had a granddaughter, who now is all over it!!!

  5. Image for Carol Lander Carol Lander

    Karianne, its serendipity. I just bought my first pallet at an estate sale for $5 just because I wanted it without what to do with it. This may be the answer I needed. Thanks and see you soon.

  6. Image for Michelle Rudis Michelle Rudis

    I love anything having to do with wooden clothes pins, weather it's making dolls out of the really old pins (the kind with no metal spring) or this project with the pins that have the spring. This is adorable! (FYI: I also secretly harbor a desire to move out of an apartment and into a house just so I can hang clothes on a clothes line with wooden pins.) Back to these brilliant picture frames, though...you gave me a great idea to pass on to the grandkids for my son's man cave for Father's Day. I bet he'd love hanging the latest catch on those frames and they'd be perfect hanging underneath his fishing poles. I bet he'd love them even more if the kids made it for him! ;-)

  7. Image for Kathy Kathy

    The frames are amazing, just like you. Two quick questions. Do you paint the boards individually first or do you paint after assembling into a frame? Also, did you use a dry brush technique or did you sand the boards to distress them? Love how the paint looks on your frames. Thanks for a great project.

  8. Image for Jeanne @ I Dream of Jeanne Marie Jeanne @ I Dream of Jeanne Marie

    Good morning KariAnne, What a fun wood project for us to try. I suppose "if" you wanted to actually have something like this "hang" on your frig, you could cover a small piece of foam core with barn wood looking scrap booking paper and add your clothes pins and put a magnet on the back... It wouldn't be nearly as cute but sort of... Thanks for always making our minds think.... Well, I'm off to vote... Blessings, Jeanne

  9. Image for Susan Susan

    Love these sooooooo much...and it sounds like something I could accomplish myself, just so long as I don't have to cut the wood to size....then I'm OUT...hehe! Oh, I know what you mean about the pictures, forms, and announcements on the fridge...it can get pretty messy looking sometimes...but then, it is the best place for a message centre because, who doesn't go to the fridge everyday? So, you are constantly reminded about the forms you are supposed to sign and the upcoming events...plus, your children's artwork always gives you the feels...that's not such a bad thing, right?

  10. Image for Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    You betcha it trumps every time!! I would look at magazines and see how clutter free the whole kitchen was -- not a scrap paper or picture in sight. So I told myself it looked too sterile and we were a family who lived in the kitchen so we would put everything we thought important all around us. YEP!! And it was a mess but BH&G wasn't coming to my house anytime soon to see what we were cooking up in the kitchen. But you know what? They missed some doggone good dishes :-) Love your frames!!

  11. Image for Nancy @ slightly Coastal Nancy @ slightly Coastal

    What a pretty backdrop for a photo (in both cases). Great idea on the wood frames. I see a coastal version coming on. Aren't those little clothespins so cute? Why is it that when something is miniature we like it even more (except for mini-muffins). I like the full size in that case. Have a good one! Nancy

  12. Image for Cecilia Cecilia

    Oh my goodness, this is too cool! I want to make some. Love the tiny clothes pins. Oh, I didn't get the pictures on the frig gene either. And it was so very nice to meet you today! You are even cuter and sweeter in person. Hugs Cecilia

  13. Image for Kris Kris

    Very cute, KariAnne! I have the same fridge gene--try as I might to de-clutter, wedding announcements/graduation open house announcements/kid are just seems to end up there.

  14. Image for Megin Megin

    These are darling, KariAnne! I especially love the little clothespin. Thank you for sharing this week at Brag About It link party on VMG206 (Mondays at Midnight). ~ Megin of VMG206

  15. Image for Laura Laura

    Karianne- I was so sorry I missed seeing you (and meeting face to face) and Joyce's recent Craft Retreat. Those ladies are so special. This project is wonderful- as always- but I continue to be amazed at your photography. Help! :) Thank you for joining us at Thoughts of Home! Laura White Spray Paint

  16. Image for Stacey Keeling Stacey Keeling

    Mmk, I'll just admit to being a bad mom...I never liked a million things stuck to the fridge. I'd rather have a frame any day of the week. :) Thanks for sharing this at Thoughts of Home on Thursday!!

  17. Image for Jemma Jemma

    Oh my goodness, this is way too cute and you made it look way easy, which I love! Your photos are amazing and wonderful! Thanks for sharing this creativity and crafty goodness with us at TOHOT:) Jemma

  18. Image for Ann Ann

    These are really neat. I love the close pin idea. I can imagine this technique used a lot of times now - so easy to change out photos. Thanks for sharing!

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