Introduction to Frame Making

They say that the packaging is just as important as its contents. For Coy Aballay, the mind behind El Pez Enmarcado, the frame around a work of art should be functional, but also needs to showcase the piece and make it stand out from its surroundings. With over a decade and a half of experience, she's framed everything from paintings and prints to photographs and objects. Her education in graphic design and photojournalism helped her develop a keen eye for her craft, finding the perfect balance between the artwork and its frame.

In this course, learn how to build a box frame for an image or object of your choice. Coy guides you through the entire process, from selecting the piece for display to taking measurements and piece-by-piece assembly.

Begin by getting to know Coy, the mind behind El Pez Enmarcado. She tells you about how she built a career in framing and shares her biggest influences.

Continue with an introduction to the most commonly used frame styles and get an overview of the tools and materials you need to build one. Learn about the differences between types of strips and how to enhance them with color and style. Then, see what a mat board is used for and choose the photo, print, or object for your final project.

Measure your selected composition already in place on the mount and get to framing! Learn how to cut the strips and slats with a miter saw, as well as glass for the front and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for the back.

Coy then teaches you how to nail these parts together using a wooden base to make the process easier. Move on to sanding and painting your frame, exploring different materials and techniques.

Finally, discover how to fit everything together, close your frame, and add a wire so you can hang it wherever you'd like. Coy rounds out the course with some tips on finding inspiration for future projects and tricks for making a series of frames.

Build a medium-sized box frame (depends on your chosen item) for a photograph, print, artwork, or object using wooden strips, slats, and a mount. Add a layer of paint or varnish and it's ready to hang!

Anyone who loves working with their hands and wants to learn the art of framing. This course is also great for anyone who wants to understand the process and materials involved to design their own frames and commission them to be built.

This is a beginner's course, so no framing experience is required.

In terms of materials, you need a hand miter saw for cutting, wooden strips and slats, a ruler, a pencil, carpentry glue, small- and medium-sized nails, clamps, wire, screws, pliers, a hammer, a cutter, sand paper, packing tape, paper and card stock, and an image or object of your choice to frame.