How to make a stretcher for painting the easy way

I've got this gorgeous painting from another country with a beautiful original frame, but when I had to transport it, I had to leave the stretcher behind. It finally sees the light of day, and I decided to reunite it with the original frame. So in today's post, we will see how to make a stretcher for painting the easy way.

There are plenty of ways to do it, and this one is probably not "professionally" correct.

Most of the time, I saw the frame with mitered corners where wood was stapled together. I don't have a strong stapler that could go through wood, at least, I never tried, so I decided to make a stretcher with a Kreg jig. A rectangular is a rectangular, after all, and maybe there is a difference between them, but I don't know about it.

If you know why most stretchers have miter corners, please, let me know in the comments or email me.

Materials

(2) 1x2"x6' (it will depend on the size of your painting
1 ¼" pocket hole screws

Tools

How to make a stretcher for a painting

Step 1. - measure and cut the wood

Measure your painting and cut the wood according to the dimensions.

Step 2. - make pocket holes.

Read instructions on the Kreg jig and make pocket holes on four sides. Use glue and attach them with screws. Make sure to check for square. Using a clamp helps a significant time.

Step 3. - attach canvas to the stretcher.

Using a stapler, attach canvas to the wooden stretcher, making sure to add staples every 4 inches. You also want to make it tight on all the sides, so the painting won't be saggy when it's hung.

That was easy!

Enjoy your beautiful artwork!

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