I just celebrated the two year anniversary of opening my Etsy shop. I don't really consider it two full years because that first year was a huge learning curve and when I opened my shop it was entirely too unprofessional looking. I pretty much has a shop name and a few blurry photos. I've come a long way in my ability to understand what running a business looks like and in producing art that I'm proud of. Along with many other skills, one of the things I learned this past year was how to frame canvas art.
It might not seem that complicated, but framing canvas art can be daunting to buyers who like the art but want to select their own frame to match their preferences. There's a little more to it than grabbing a frame off the shelf at Walmart and popping a picture in the back. If it seems intimidating to you to frame canvas art, I've got some tips to simplify the process for you. Plus, you can scroll down to see a *very amateur* video of the whole process.
Materials
I purchase my frames from Pictureframes.com which has a large selection with reasonable prices and they're almost always running a sale of one kind or another. When you order, make sure to add the canvas clips option to the frame order page. These are little angled clips that secure the canvas to the frame (you can see them on the top right of the picture below). This site includes hanging hardware, as well as smaller canvas clips which I find a little harder to work with.
I back my art with simple brown packing paper that you can get just about anywhere packing supplies are sold. I also use Tacky Glue. No need to get fancy here. Make sure you have a scissors and screwdriver on hand too.
Steps for Framing
Start by placing the art in the frame and hooking the clips around the art with the pointy side sticking into the inside groove of the frame (you can see this better in the video below). Use at least to clips to make sure both sides are secure. This is probably the hardest part because sometimes it takes a lot of pressure to secure it properly (as you can see with my hilariously long struggle in the video).
Once the painting is attached to the frame, trim a piece of paper about the size of the back of the frame or a little smaller and glue it to the frame. You can also use double sided tape if you prefer, but I find this to be a lot messier and harder to fix if you don't get it right the first time. I'm no perfectionist here and I think it adds a little personality if all the edges don't line up perfectly. There might be a little puckering at the corners, and that's okay.
Last, use the hardware included with the frame to hang the wire on the back of the art and it's ready to hang.
I love the rough unfinished edges of canvas art, but sometimes art looks more finished and decorative with a nice frame. Plus you have the freedom to choose your own style frame to go with your overall decor. I have a fondness for gold frames (maybe it's the diva in me that likes a little sparkle), but there are some great wood and painted options as well. The process of framing art doesn't have to be complicated and you'll love the piece even better when you're done!
P.S. If this seems like more than you want to tackle, I have an "add a frame" option for some of my piece in my Etsy shop so I can do the work for you.
