Floating acrylic photograph frames carry an artsy museum-like class to even the most normal areas. In some cases referred to as plexiglass frames or frameless photo frames, these frames are my major decision for displaying distinctive artwork prints and even posters. And they&rsquore a fantastic alternative to regular photograph gallery walls.
Their barely-there glance is airy and crisp and pretty superior touch. The very best aspect is that acrylic image frames will work with any variety of decor from traditional to classic, to my own most loved – world-wide bohemian chic.
But have you at any time checked the value of acrylic photograph frames??? That stunning floating frame in the image underneath will established you again a good $120 bucks. For. 1. Body. Yikes! Yep, right after looking at equivalent selling prices elsewhere, I understood exactly what I essential to do. I required to dig deep to generate a minimal-value, substantial-stop looking, Do it yourself floating acrylic frame. The acrylic frame tutorial you are about to go through is useful for any individual on the lookout for easy, reasonably priced strategies to improve the seem of their art collection at home.
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What You&rsquoll Need
 
 Standoffs to mount your frames
 Acrylic sheets – One particular established of 2 for every single body (keep looking at for tips on exactly where to discover them)
 A significant steel tent stake or nail (Idea: I located a single at Ace Components for $one.fifty)
 4 spring clamps to keep the acrylic in location although you work on it
 A drill for mounting the wall hardware
In which to Buy Acrylic Sheets to Make the Floating Frames
 
 
To my shock, I found a amount of places in which I could invest in acrylic sheets and even acrylic body kits. For instance, I identified these ready-designed acrylic frame kits on Etsy. Sadly for me, the major dimensions obtainable was eleven x 14. My artwork measured eleven x seventeen. Due to the fact I required a three&rdquo acrylic border all about the artwork, I wanted my frames to measure fourteen x twenty. This would assistance me generate the illusion of massive items of floating artwork.
 
Then I figured out that Home Depot sold substantial acrylic sheets way too. But $116 was much more than I wished to expend. Additionally, I could under no circumstances get a apparent response on whether or not or not Household Depot would minimize the acrylic sheet into to the dimensions I essential. At last, I settled on Ace Hardware, wherever I bought 4 eighteen&rdquox 24&rdquo acrylic sheets for $eleven.ninety nine each individual. Every sheet is about the very same thickness as a quarter inch piece of glass. news reduce the acrylic – totally free of demand – into 2 sets of frames measuring 14×20. Et voila! Whole price tag with tax was just $fifty one.fifty six.
 
Are the frames you want considerably smaller sized? If so, the offer gets even sweeter. Just talk to the Ace Hardware glass cutter if he has any left in excess of acrylic from preceding cuts that match your size. Ace Components will sell them to you for a fraction of the initial charge. I did that when recreating this tutorial and only put in a mere $one.fifty for four 9 x 11 sheets. Ace is absolutely the put ya&rsquoll!
I know even so that some definitely low-cost…ahem…frugal persons will say "But Ola, I identified acrylic sheets even less costly at Passion Foyer!". Enable the consumer beware however. Those people are tremendous thin, craft quality acrylic sheets and will never maintain up more than time.
 
Now for the standoffs. Following ordering a established that was much too small to make an influence, I settled on these moderately priced silver one/2&rdquo x four/five&rdquo wall mount standoff bolts. They come twenty to a pack.
How to &ldquoDrill&rdquo the Holes for the Acrylic Image Frame
Drilling the holes to make your acrylic picture frames may well sound like a no-brainer to you, but it can get very tough. In reality, not knowing additional about this essential phase pressured me to have to invest in more acrylic mainly because I ruined the initially established. Out of the blue the budget for my oh-so-cost-effective Do-it-yourself acrylic frames increased by 50 percent. Ouch! Prevent faults by having to pay close awareness to these directions.
You see, when drilling the holes for your standoffs you have to drill pretty, quite little by little, or the acrylic will crack. I&rsquom heading to present you how to stay away from that condition altogether. Rather of drilling the gap (like I did at first), do the following:
DO NOT clear away the protective plastic from the body
Mark the areas of your 4 holes on the very first piece of acrylic. Use your 1st piece as a template for the rest of the pieces to make positive the holes are all line up.
Warmth the huge metal stake or nail over a fireplace
This is Much, significantly less complicated than drilling the hole. Use a pair of vice grips to hold the steel stake in area, and to keep away from burning by yourself.
Pierce the location for the hole
Make it possible for the melted edges of the plastic to amazing. These should then snap appropriate building a cleanse hole for your standoff.
This is A lot, considerably much easier than drilling the hole. Use a pair of vice grips to keep the metallic stake in location, and to stay away from burning oneself.
How to Set up Your Snazzy New Floating Wall Frames
In this article is the best way to put in your new frames:
Location a single piece of completely ready-to-dangle acrylic sheet straight onto the wall the place it will be hung
With your other hand, use a stage to make absolutely sure the acrylic body is straight
Your standoffs will ordinarily come with anchors. I strongly advise applying them. You don&rsquot want to wake up in the center of the evening to learn these great thangs cracked and shattered on the flooring do you? I didn&rsquot believe you did. So remember to use the anchors.
Anxious about putting also numerous holes in the wall? Just fasten the two prime standoffs to the wall. Then connect the standoffs to the base holes of the body, but DO NOT fasten them to the wall. No 1 will be the wiser. I observed this finished at a hotel as soon as and it blew me away.
&mdash Ola
Congratulations! You&rsquove now developed THE greatest, most affordable Diy acrylic frames ever. Now all you have to do is sit back and appreciate your newly made chef d&rsquooeuvre (masterpiece).
Use a pen/pencil to mark the site of the holes directly onto the wall
Drill hole and insert anchor
Sandwich your print or photograph in between two pieces of acrylic and thread the standoff by the holes to mount