You guys! If you can cut wood and use wood glue, you can do this project! It was seriously the fastest, easiest AND cheapest project ever! So, let's get started.
I purchased this print with no idea what I was going to do with it. Do you ever do that? I have tried to limit myself on purchases like that since our home is only 1200 sq. ft. and so every piece really needs to be a sure thing. BUT I loved the quote and knew I would hang it somewhere. So, after it sat for 2 months while I was figuring out exactly where I wanted to hang it, this idea popped into my head Saturday morning!
We had some scrap wood from our entryway shiplap remodel (which I am still VERY obsessed with btw) and it happen to really be perfect pieces for what I had in mind. They are called lattice molding strips and I love them. We have used them in the bathroom to frame our stud shelf, as moulding around the shiplap wall, as a frame around our barn door outdoor light, and have plans for lots of other projects with it as well. And it is super cheap - which makes me love it even more! Here is a screenshot of the product from the Home Depot website.
After measuring my print, I decided that I wanted a half inch lip on either side. Since the print was 13 inches wide, I cut 4 strips at 14 inches long. The wood strips are already very smooth, but I gave them a super quick sand on the edges that I cut. I used a miter saw to make my cuts, but the wood is very nice and soft, so a handsaw would easily do the job too.
Using my favorite stain combination, I went to work! I didn't want the pieces to look dark and stained so I barely, barely dipped my rag in the Special Walnut stain from Minwax and used just that little bit on each side. Then I grabbed a different corner from my rag and barely dipped it into the Classic Gray stain. To me, the gray really just cuts the intensity of a stain color. It gives it a little weathered look as well, which I love.
Here are my strips all cut and then a little left over piece to show you the before and after of the stain work. It's really not a heavy color. Just a little bit and it totally transforms the look of the pieces.
After I established what pieces I wanted as the front, I got out my measuring tape and marked 1/2 out from the edges so I knew where the print needed to start and finish to be centered on the wood. I smeared some wood glue on the inside of 1 strip of wood and then smeared it in with my finger. Then I placed the print down and smoothed it out. Put glue on your second piece of wood and smear it in again. Then simply sandwich the pieces together making sure they are in line with each other. I used clamps to make sure there was no movement and it would all set nicely.
After it set for about 30 minutes, I took the clamps off and admired my work. Hold it up to make sure the drape is correct and the print or pieces have not shifted during the drying time. Then I just cut a piece of twine, measured how long I wanted it to hang and stapled it to the back of the frame top. Simple! Hang that bad boy and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!
