DIY Custom Framing

We recently participated in a very special wedding ceremony and reception for my daughter's birthmom.  This was such a great day for our family, and we wanted to make sure that we had the perfect gift to give to the newlyweds.  I decided that I wanted to give them a large framed picture of the Draper Temple that they could hang in their home.

After searching the internet for just the right picture I found this one at Inspirational Art Shop.

I loved the antiqued look and the large frame which measures at 47x29.  This particular piece of art sells for $318.00 which unfortunately was out of the budget.  So, I decided to recreate this look all on my own.  Easy enough right!?  Well, it was just that...EASY!!!

First, I had to locate the ideal image. Lucky for me I found the perfect picture at Lil' Luna.

She offers a wide variety of FREE temple images. I simply saved the image I wanted onto my computer and went into Sam's Club photo shop to enlarge, edit, and have it printed.  The total cost for all of that was $6.35.
Then, I headed over to Home Depot to pick up some base board and mdf handy panel hardboard.  The base board is what I used to create the actual frame and the handy panel is what I mounted the picture onto using some Tacky Spray that I already had on hand.
Total cost for those supplies was $18.25.  (FYI-The base board is sold by the foot and the handy panel was $6.42 for a 2x4 sheet.  I had the handy panel cut to the size I needed and will use the extra for future projects.)

Once my picture was glued to the handy panel I then sought the help of my friend Becky from the Crafting Chicks.  She has some amazing cream from Poppy Seed Creations that gives your photos a protective and textured coating that dries clear.  It also eliminates that photos finish/shine.

With the picture now ready to go I simply had to cut my base board.  For this project I needed the edges of the base board to be cut at a 45 degree angle in order to create the shape of the frame.  It's not necessary, but I would recommend that you use a miter saw for this step.  Once the wood was all cut I went ahead and painted each piece (front and back) a flat black.  You could use a nice paint, but I opted for spray paint.  It's quicker and easier to deal with.  The total cost for this process was $0.00.  I had a neighbor cut the word with their miter saw and Becky let me use a can of spray paint that she had on hand even though I was willing to get it on my own.

After my wood was done drying I simply used a staple gun to connect the frame pieces.  Then I mounted the picture onto the back of those pieces with a staple gun as well.  This is definitely a two man process.  You want to make sure all of the edges are nice and tight.  Again Becky offered her services.  (I have such great friends!!)

At this point all I had to was attach a hanger onto the back. I also covered the back side with some butcher paper to give it a nice clean finished look.  And that's my easy way of creating a custom looking frame on a budget.  Not too shabby for less than $30.00.