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How to Make Gallery Wrap Canvas Stretcher Bars

Wooden canvas stretcher bars are used to apply tension to a stretched canvas sheet. This makes working with the canvas more convenient and also serves a dual purpose when it comes to displaying your finished painting. The tools needed to create your own stretcher bars can be purchased at your local hardware store at a relatively low cost. By creating your own canvas frame, you can determine the exact size you need based on planned artwork compositions.

Things You'll Need

  • 1-by-2 wood piece (72 inches long)
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Miter box
  • Hand saw
  • Staple gun
  • Quarter-round wood trim (72 inches long)
  • Headless nails
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a tape measure and the 1-by-2 wood piece to measure two 16-inch pieces and two 20-inch pieces. Mark your measurements on the wood with a pencil.

    • 2

      Cut the pieces from the 1-by-2 wood piece with a miter box and hand saw. Cut the ends at 45 degree angles.

    • 3

      Assemble the pieces together to form a rectangular frame. Check that the 45 degree angles are joined tightly.

    • 4

      Use a staple gun to attach the pieces together at the back where the angles meet. Three staples are sufficient to hold the pieces together.

    • 5

      Measure two 16-inch and two 20-inch pieces on the quarter-round wood trim. Mark your measurements with a pencil. Cut them with the miter box and hand saw with 45 degree angles at the ends.

    • 6

      Place them on the front side of the wooden frame on the outer edges. Check that the rounded lips of the wood pieces face inward. Attach them to the wooden frame with headless nails to form the trim of the frame. Four nails on each side are enough to securely hold the trim in place.

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