In this post, I’m showing you how to make your own easy large custom DIY picture frames.

…Or small custom DIY pictures frames–it’s custom, so you can make any size you wish. I just made mine HUGE!

Our dining room wall has been empty for over half a year because I just couldn’t find anything I loved to hang here. And if you’ve shopped for it lately, you know that large artwork is also…pretty pricey.

Why Make Your Own Custom DIY Picture Frames?

First, let’s talk about custom framing.  Tons of places offer custom framing—some can be pretty pricey, but some can be pretty comparable in price to what it costs to make your own—mostly because the plexiglass is expensive.

As an example, normally you’d frame your photos so that the image is centered in the frame and it’s oriented the same direction as the photo.  Clearly, that’s not what I did here ha!

So for me, it was easier to just make these than to convince a framer to do what I wanted haha.

Tools & Materials:

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Notes on Wood Sizes:

There’s no “right” or “wrong” with this materials list. You can make these SO many different ways with tons of different materials.

For this, I used 1x2s for the OUTSIDE frame and ¾″ x 1″ strips for the INSIDE frame. But ¾″ x 1″ isn’t a common size you can purchase (I ripped mine on the table saw).

So a ¾″ square dowel OR 1″ square dowel would work perfectly fine OR you can just use a 1×2 for the inside frame as well.

Plexiglass Options for Custom DIY Picture Frames

I purchased 30″ x 36″ plexiglass panels for these picture frames. These come in TONS of precut sizes, so pick one up the same size, or a little bigger than you need based on step 1 below.

I cut mine down to a custom size using a circular saw and a fine finish blade. But you can cut plexiglass using other methods as well.

If you prefer not to cut it yourself, usually, you can have the store you purchase from custom cut your plexiglass, or you can just make do with the precut sizes available and not cut the sheet at all.

What to Pictures to Frame

As you can see, I framed posters of my pets. Obviously, you can frame whatever you’d like.

Just in case you wondered what I did here, I took photos from my phone and uploaded them into PicMonkey and used their background remover tool to remove the backgrounds and make them white.

Then, I ordered these as 16×20 posters from Walgreens.

How to Build a Custom DIY Picture Frames

The steps below outline how I build these simple frames and I’ve also got a video tutorial here as well:

If you like videos, be sure to subscribe to the Woodshop Diaries YouTube Channel Here!

Step 1: Determine Inside Picture Frame Size

The first step is determining the size of the inside frame. Take note that the inside frame is where I used the thinner material. So this is where you’d use the ¾″ square dowels, or 1″ square dowels–or 1x2s if that’s what you decide.

But for the width, I decided that I liked the look of having about 2 ½″ of mat board on each side of the photo.

So I took my photo width (which was 20″) plus 2x my desired mat reveal (which was 2 x 2 ½″ = 5″) plus 2x the thickness of the inside frame (in my case, it was 1″ thick, but if you used ¾″ square dowels or 1x2s, yours would be different).

My inside frame’s overall dimensions should be ⅛″ larger in both directions than my plexiglass (just to allow for some wiggle room to set it in place). So if my plexiglass will be 27″ x 36″, I’ll make my inside frame 27 ⅛″ x 36 ⅛″ overall.

As a note, you can also play around with these numbers a little and work backward to figure out how to make your frame boards bigger or smaller and your mat reveal bigger or smaller in order to work with a precut plexiglass size.

Step 2: Build Inside Picture Frames

Now, once you figure out your sizing, it’s SUPER easy to build.

But you can stain or paint before OR after–it’s up to you.

I adjusted my miter saw to cut 45 degrees and cut four pieces of my ¾″ x 1″ board with mitered ends so that when fit together, their overall size would be 27 ⅛″ x 36 ⅛″.

Then, I used some Krazy Glue Fast Dry Wood Glue on each corner to assemble. This is a quick drying formula and dries clear, so it made assembly super easy.

However, you can use regular wood glue and clamps here instead if you prefer.

Step 3: Add Outside Frames

Once the inside frame is assembled, I basically “wrapped” 1x2s around the outside edge just to thicken it up a little and make it look nicer.

I mitered the ends 45 degrees and cut each piece to fit perfectly around the inside frame.

Then, I glued these one side at a time around the inside frame.

I used a piece of scrap ¼″ plywood to keep my inside frame inset from the back edge of the 1x2s about ¼″. This just leaves a “lip” on the back side to set the plexiglass, mat, and backer into later.

Step 4: Cut and Install Plexiglass In Picture Frames (if needed)

Now that the frame is assembled, if you decided to cut your plexiglass, it’s time to trim it down to fit inside the frame.

I left the protective layer on the sheet while cutting. That just helps prevent chips and scratches while cutting.

You can also use a cut off tool, a table saw, or a special utility knife designed to score plexiglass as well if you didn’t want to use a circular saw.

Once the plexiglass was cut, I placed it into the back of the frame and wiped it clean.

OPTIONAL STEP: If desired, you can glue these plexiglass panels in place. Sometimes I like my plexiglass to be glued in–it makes it easier to keep clean and seals out dust. But that’s totally optional.

Step 5: Custom Cut and Install Picture Frame Mat Board

Now, this part is a little frustrating if you are a perfectionist.

I purchased some 32×40 white mat board from Hobby Lobby and used a SHARP utility knife and a straight edge to trim it down to the same size as my plexiglass from step 1.

Then, I placed it face down on a clean piece of cardboard and drew out where to cut the “picture hole.”

Once it’s drawn, use a straight edge and a SHARP utility knife to carefully cut along the lines.

After I had my opening cut, I placed this inside the frame as well and placed the picture over the opening.

I used some painters tape at the corners to hold it in place–I’m sure there’s a better way to do that, but this works fine and it’s what I had on hand haha.

Step 6: Add Hardware and Hanger to Picture Frames

Finally, I cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the plexiglass and mat board and placed in the back.

I screwed some turn buttons along the edges to hold the cardboard in place. These turn buttons are great options to make this easy to remove and swap out photos later as needed.

And finally, to hang them, I installed a sawtooth hanger centered on the top.

All that was left, was using some roofing nails (or screws or whatever you prefer) to hang them along my back dining room wall!

These are definitely not “fancy” picture frames, but they’re EXACTLY what I wanted for this space. The simple photos of my sweet pets in these huge frames makes me smile every time I walk by.

And, best of all, compared to store bought artwork, this saved me a TON of money and is the best kind of “custom” artwork I could find.

I hope you enjoyed this simple custom DIY picture frames project and I hope it inspires you to create your own!

If you’d like to check out more picture frame projects, here’s a few favorites!

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Until next time, friends, happy building!