A few readers have complained that they can’t find the right-sized frame after buying one of my prints. And getting it custom-framed can be super expensive. So I thought I would show you how I frame them for family and friends – it’s easy to do yourself and is pretty cheap too. The frame and mount you see above cost less than $30 AUD.
When you can’t find a perfectly sized frame, the next best thing to do is buy a slightly larger frame and mount the print. That’s when you have a nice chunky piece of cardboard surrounding the print. It actually looks more fancy and ‘ooh la la’ than a frame that is the exact size of the print.
A friend of mine recently purchased the Gandhi print in the large size but couldn’t find a frame for it. So since I offer a complete top to bottom cartooning service – drawing, printing AND framing – I offered to take care of it for her (This is a joke, please don’t send me your prints to frame 
).
The print is 18″ x 28″ so I found a cheap 20″ x 28″ frame to use ($20). In Australia, there are affordable homeware or bric-a-brac shops in every shopping mall which sell cheap frames – I’m sure there are similar stores where you’re from. IKEA is also a good place to look. The next thing you need is a piece of mounting board, which I got from an art supply store. I bought a super large sheet for $8 which is big enough for two of these frames. I chose white because I think white always looks best, but you can use a different colour if you like.
You will also need a decent ruler, cutting blade, cutting board, pencil and masking tape.
First, cut the mounting board to fit the frame exactly, in this case 20″ x 28″. Your art store might be able to cut it to size for you, so ask them first.
Check to make sure it fits in the frame. Next, mark out (on the BACK of the board) the size of your mount border. Place your print roughly in the middle of the board and mark out how wide you want your borders to be. Make sure to allow at least an extra 10mm of mount all the way around the print. You want some leeway when positioning the print later. In this case I measured 25mm from the top and bottom and 45mm from the sides.
Now cut out the border you’ve marked. Please be careful when you’re cutting – don’t slice your thumb off! Take your time – I’ve cut my hand pretty severely using a blade in the past because I was rushing. When you’re cutting, make several pulls with the blade, don’t try to cut through the board in one slice with all your force. These blades are sharp, but they’re not Hattori Hanzo steel.
Your mount is ready:
I secure the print on the back of the mount with tape. You don’t have to do this – but it just makes it a bit easier to handle. Make sure you use masking tape, which won’t damage the print.
That’s it! Place the mount and print into the frame and you’re all done. A professional looking framed print and mount for a fraction of the price.
On a side note, I would just like to thank EVERYONE who has purchased a print from my Society6 store. The prints make up a large part of my income at the moment (along with the advertising), so without your support I probably would have to find a real job … and we both don’t want that, do we? Much love!
Kaitlyn Munro is a reader from Iowa, USA who is about to embark on a life-changing journey. Take it away Kaitlyn:
