How to Mount Your Own Canvas

Because I've found it very difficult to find good resources for new artists on things like how to effectively and inexpensively present your work, I'd like to devote some parts of this blog to sharing my own discoveries on this topic. So, since today I made a few discoveries of my own about mounting canvas and Masonite, I'll go ahead and share them with you. You can use some simple lattice to create an nice frame for your work-- keep in mind that your frame will only be as wide as the thickness of your lattice. I apologize for the absence of photos, but I hope this will at least give you a start.

Materials:
1. Lattice trim (you can find this at a local home improvement store or lumber yard in the trim section: look for things like molding and door jambs. You can also find lower quality lattice for a smaller price if you are going to paint it or look through it to find some good peices)
2. Hand Saw
3. Wood Glue
4. 5/8 inch nails
5. Pencil
6. Clamps
7. Measuring tape
8. Painting on Masonite or Stretched Canvas


Process (canvas)
1. Find a place with a hard floor and level ground (since I do this in my apartment usually, the kitchen is the best place for me)
2. Place first piece of lattice upright next to the edge of your canvas and another piece on top. Mark the upright piece of wood where it meets the top of the lattice on top (you want the cut edge of your upright lattice to be flush with the other lattice to create a seamless edge.)
3. Cut the first piece of lattice with a handsaw where you marked it
4. With one end of the cut wood lined up with the edge of your canvas (the other side should go past the end of your canvas as much as the width of your lattice) nail the wood flat to the edge of the stretcher bar in the center and on the ends. The front edge of the lattice should also be flush with the face of the canvas (it will look like a shadow box on the back side, depending on the depth of your stretchers)
5. Set the canvas upright with the lattice you just attached on the floor. Set another piece of lattice upright on top of the overhanging edge of the side you just nailed. You can clamp it or get a friend to hold it next to the canvas while you grab a third piece of lattice. Set this piece on the top side of the canvas. Mark the upright piece of lattice as in step 2 so it is flush with the third piece of lattice.
6. Cut and nail.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 all the way around. You may want to apply a small amount of wood glue to each corner to seal the joints.
8. At each corner, set with nails (from the outside of the overlapping piece into the end of the wood of the meeting lattice.)
9. Sand each corner to smooth any uneven joints.
10. If you want wider frames, you can also attach lattice to the front side of the work by nailing it flat to the frame you just created (and covering a bit of the painting as well)

You can also paint the lattice black (or any color you want, really) or choose a color of wood that will suit your piece. Also, be careful to measure carefully. Due to my own carelessness, I found that even if I am 1/16th off in my measurement, it is the difference between a professional presentation and a home-made hack-job. This is why I recommend measuring and marking one piece at a time, especially because sometimes stretcher bars (especially ones I make myself) can have a few irregularities that will affect the way the lattice sits on the edge.

For Mounting Masonite or Panel:

Repeat the same measuring steps as above, except instead of attaching to the outside edge, I just used wood glue to attach the lattice to the back of the panel. Again, the lattice will be sitting on the skinny edge (it creates a shadow-box effect on the back). You can use some C-clamps to set the glue or apply some small nails at the corners (if you don't mind putting the nails through your painting).

It is amazing what these small touches can do to a painting-- when you take time to present your work with a frame, it demonstrates your own care in how others enter it. This method is fairly inexpensive, depending on the wood you choose and a fairly simple process. I've done all of this in my apartment.