Protecting artwork and framed pictures is important because of the value, both monetary and sentimental, that many people place on the artwork in their home. Maybe the painting is an original work of art that has been passed down from generation to generation, or the picture is one of the entire family from years ago and it holds a lot of sentimental value. Whatever the reason, we frame our pictures and artwork with care not only to display them proudly, but to protect them and preserve them throughout the years.
What about protecting our frames though? Some frames can be just as valuable as the artwork or pictures that they contain, and protecting them is just as important. Antique picture frames and art frames are also passed down just like artwork and can often be kept in a family for many generations. Antique frames can also be worth quite a lot of money if they are properly kept and preserved. If you treat your frames with care, you can keep them around for a long time and ensure that they continue to frame your favorite artwork or photos proudly displayed in your home.
The best way to protect your frames is with corner protectors that you can place on the corners of the frames to guard against any scratches or dings and protect the frame in case it falls to the ground or is dropped. This guide will take you through the process of making your own corner protectors that you can use on your frames or artwork at home.
Gathering your materials
To create your corner protectors, you'll first need a few things to help you put them together. First, you're going to need to obtain some cardboard or card stock, which is what the corner protectors will be made out of. If possible, it's best to use cardboard, as it tends to be tougher and sturdier than using card stock.
Also, you'll need to obtain some glue to hold your corner protectors together. The strongest type of glue you can find is best, as you want these corner protectors to hold up for years and years, ideally. Lastly, have a ruler or tape measure handy to measure out the pieces of cardboard that you'll need. The measurements need to be accurate so that your corner protectors will all be the same uniform size and so that they'll all fit on the corners of the frame snugly.
Making the corner protectors
Before you begin making the corner protectors, measure the width of the frame that you'll be putting them on to get the proper dimensions of the frame. Once your corner protectors are done and it comes time to put them on the frame, you want them to be as secure as possible on each corner and fit tightly so that they don't fall off over time. A loose corner protector doesn't do much to protect a frame, so measurements are very important.
Here are the step-by-step directions for making your corner protectors using the materials you've gathered:
- To begin, cut eight triangles from the cardboard that are all equilateral, meaning that all sides of the triangles should be of equal length. Each side of the triangles that you cut should measure three inches in length.
- Next, you'll have to also cut eight rectangular pieces of cardboard that are three inches wide and as long as the width of the picture frame, according to the measurement that you took before you began.
- After you've cut out your rectangular pieces, take one of the triangles that you have and place it down on a flat surface. Make sure that the right angle of the triangle (where two of the sides converge to form an "L") is facing towards the left.
Take one of the rectangular pieces of the cardboard and face it upwards. Then, place this piece length-wise on the left side of the triangle and glue it into place. Make sure to press firmly on the two pieces after you've applied the glue to affix the two pieces and secure them to each other using the glue.
- Once the glue has dried on those two pieces, the rectangular piece and the triangular piece, take another triangle and place it on top of the two that are already glued together, almost like you are placing a lid on it. Then fix this second triangular piece to the other two by gluing them together. Again, press firmly when attaching the pieces to allow the glue to set and dry correctly and securely.
- Leave some time for the pieces to completely dry before moving on to the next part of the project. Once everything is dry, simply repeat the same process outlined above with the remaining triangular and rectangular pieces that you have.
After you've completed that and all of the pieces are glued together firmly and have fully dried, you're ready to place the corner protectors onto your frame. Make sure you clean off all of the pieces before placing them on the frame. There may be some leftover glue on some of them and you want to avoid getting any glue on any part of your frame. Slide the corner protectors over the picture frame and check to make sure that they fit snugly and securely to the frame and that they won't slide off too easily.