Don’t have wall space to display large frames but can’t pass them up when you find them? Learn how to make small frames from one large frame.
If your home is anything like ours, you don’t have a ton of wall space to hang very large frames. If you are also like me, you can’t pass up an extra large frame when you find one at a great price. Also, if that extra large frame is old and ornate, you can’t pass it up no matter if you have the space for it. If any of those statements resonate with you, you are my people. This post is all about a very large frame that I came across for $10. I didn’t have a space in our home for a frame that big but I couldn’t leave it in the store.
It was ornate and had great detail and the $10 price tag was just begging me to bring it home. When I got it home, I knew what I had to do. This post is going to show you how to make smaller frames from one large frame.
Smaller frames are perfect for any size home. Smaller frames can be put on shelves, on mantels, and on pieces of furniture. They don’t have to be hung on the wall like large frames need to be. I can use a smaller frame a lot more than a large one.
How To Make Small Frames From One Large Frame
I spotted this frame in a local charity shop.
This frame measured 36″x48″.
Supplies Needed To Make These Frames
Large Frame
Screws
Pencil
Glass From A Smaller Frame (I used a 5×7)
Steps To Create Smaller Frames From One Large Frame
I wanted to make some 5×7″ frames out of this frame. This is how we did it.
- To make it easy, we started by using the corners of the large frame that were already together.
- To measure the 5×7 size, I removed the glass from a frame I already had and we used that to make our marks.
- Then, we used a square to get the 45° angles at those marks we made with the glass from the 5×7″ frame. (See photo below).
- Once cut, this will be one side of the smaller frame. We needed to do the same process on another corner of the large frame to get what would be the other side of the smaller frame.
- Once we had the marks, it was time to cut them with the miter saw.
A pocket hole jig will make this project easy!
- To put the sides together, we used a pocket hole jig set. This gave us inset holes on the back of the frame so we could screw the two sides together.
- We screwed the two sides together and got to work on another smaller frame with the other two corners of the larger frame.
- The photo above shows you how it comes together (after they are cut).
- The photo above shows you what the back looks like. We only needed to add pocket holes on two sides because we used the corners that were already put together from the large frame.
- I add the print I want inside the frame and then cut cardboard a little bit bigger than the opening so that it fits really tight inside and will hold the print tight.
- If you use the corners as we did, you will come away with extra straight pieces in the end. You can make so many different-sized frames with those leftover straight pieces. It will just depend on the size larger frame you started out with and what sizes you went with for the smaller frames.
A large frame can be turned into smaller frames easily!
I love that I can still rescue large frames. This project makes the large frames more manageable for our home. I still get the look but in smaller doses that I can actually display in our home.
Large, ornate frames are beautiful but I just don’t have the wall space to display them. They are also harder to fill if you are using them as actual frames.
Chunky old frames are one of my favorite things. I don’t even mind when they are chipping in some areas like this one is. You can see some of the pink wood underneath.
I have found a way to get FREE art and these frames are exactly what I wanted to display that art. Not having the glass in the frame makes them look more like real paintings.
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Lindsay, this is a great solution to my question about what to do with my 3′ x 4′ very old frames! Appreciate your creativity so much! Thanks, Barb
You’re welcome! I love old frames but don’t have the space for them. This way, I can still have the look and use them all over our house! So glad it was helpful!
Great Repurposing!
Thanks!
Thank you!
great. I need to do this with approximately 12 large frames. Question, what size wood screws did you use?
Every frame will be different. We used the screws that come in the jig kit for this frame.