Lattice Frame

A simple frame is one of the most tried and true methods of getting a viewer to focus on the artwork in front of them. The best frames compliment the art, not overshadow it. It is the art, not the frame, that should generate interest and inspire questions, like “What is this painting all about?” or “What makes this drawing finished?”

A lattice style frame is the simplest (and one of the best) ways to showcase your painting. This is fast and easy to do. (Pst… it’s also a great method to keep in mind if you are not sure if the painting is finished and you don’t want to go through the trouble of building a mare elaborate frame just to remove it.) The first step is a trip to the local hardware store to purchase lattice, which is a thin strip of wood measuring .25in x 1.5 in. You can buy lattice in lengths of around 96 inches for around 5$, or you can save wood timings from other frames or canvas stretchers that you have built. The great thing about lattice is that it is thin and easy to cut. Trim the lattice with a small wood saw to fit the sides of your painting. After your wood is trimmed, sand the sides and edges with sandpaper until you are satisfied.

If you do not like the look of plain wood or blonde wood, you can use stain or paint to change the color. Stain comes in a variety of colors and shades. When staining wood, always wear heavy- duty rubber gloves and work in a well vented area. You will also want to put down a piece of plastic or an old blanket to protect your floor. After you’ve arranged all your safety gear, dip a rag into the stain and wipe it onto the wood. You can do a little at a time or a lot, depending on your preferred grade of lightness or darkness. When you are happy with the color, let the wood dry.

Instead of stain, you might elect to paint the wood a color of your choosing. You should prime the wood or buy a paint that has a primer in it. This paint is usually listed as a two in one.

When you are ready to frame the artwork, you can do this with small finishing nails and a hammer. You can also use a brad nailer (nail gun), but this may split the lattice. If you are nailing this together by hand take a small punch and use it to push the nails a little deeper into the wood this will give you a cleaner look. There will be small spots in the frame where you nailed it onto the canvas that will show up on blond wood, but you can employ a small paint brush to fill the holes with stain or paint. In a pinch, I have even used a sharpie marker to color the holes as long as it is close to matching the color you have chosen.

The neat thing about these types of frames is that if you decide the painting isn’t finished, you can just pull it off of the painting, remove the nails and recycle the frame later on. Also, if you are like me and you like to highlight the sides of the canvas, you can nail the lattice strategically so that the painting sticks out of the frame just a little bit.

Thanks for reading

Here is a video that I feel is a good resource for this post. There a few things that he does that I didn’t mention but that’s because I haven’t done them before but will be trying them out.