Picture Frame Moulding Ideas by Rex Rothing

There are many possible ways to make picture frame mouldings which include square cut, shaped cut, color or rope insert, and combination two part mouldings. Every picture deserves a special frame and frames can be made in as many ways as there are pictures. Mouldings can vary in size by width or thickness, vertical or horizontal, colors or shapes, and in combinations with other materials.

Square cut mouldings can be flat as a 1 x 3, or vertical as a 3 x 1. Shadow boxes have vertical mouldings. Square mouldings can be narrow as 1/2" or wide as the board allows. Generally, bigger frames make the art seem more important while narrow frames are often used with wide mattings or wide inner frames. In part, it depends on the size of the art, and the place it will hang, as well as the personal taste of the decorator. A big frame might not look right in a small room. Square mouldings can be rough sawn or smooth, clear coated, painted, or left natural, and as thick, or as wide, as you desire or the board provides.

Shaped mouldings can be made with a router in many possible ways. Shapes can be sawn with a table saw, shapes can be carved, shapes can be combined, and shapes can be left natural. Simply rounding off the edges can change the look of a picture in a frame. A shaped moulding might be made to match up with something in the picture such as a beveled edge on a pyramid picture or a classical beaded ogee for a cathedral picture.

Color and rope inserts can be interesting picture frame moulding ideas. Colors can be painted on the edges or in routed grooves. More than one color can be used and the wood will still be seen. The same way ropes can be inserted into routed grooves in the wood. The rope or color inserts can vary by size and shape and placement such as: a thick braided manilla rope or blue color can be inserted near the outside of a wide frame, or a thin twisted white nylon rope or green color can be placed on center of a narrow frame. There are very many ways to do this.

Combination mouldings can be made by glueing together any square cut, shaped, or color & rope moulding with any other of the same choices. So you see, there truly are as many ways to frame a picture as there are pictures in this world.

Sometimes, a really simple frame is all you need.

Sometimes a picture frame makes a nice gift, and making a frame for that special picture or artwork makes it a really unique gift idea.

If you need help with your picture frame making, feel free to call or email WoodShop 102 anytime!   

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