DIY Rustic Picture Frame

Who knew making your own photo frames was so easy? Learn how to make this fun and easy DIY rustic picture frame from repurposed barn wood!

I’m sharing today one of two projects I made out of the remaining barn wood left from the DIY Farmhouse Shelves. If you’re like, “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” that’s ok!! I don’t work particularly fast, so it was quite a while ago. Let me refresh your memory…

First, we found the mother load of barn wood at a warehouse so close to our home a few months ago.

After bringing the wood home and staring at its beauty deciding we couldn’t actually leave layers of dust, dirt, and debris on it for “charm”, we figured out how to restore the barn wood to its rustic beauty.

I actually made a whole post dedicated to how to clean and refinish barnwood in 3 easy steps. Crazy easy once we figured it out. And the sealer we used? Totally transformed the look of the wood.

Well, these two pieces of reclaimed wood were a little wide for our farmhouse shelves, so my husband cut 3 1/4 inches off both boards, leaving us with some long and thin(ish) pieces of wood.

After staring at them for a while, I finally figured out what to make! A picture frame to display photos in! (There’s another DIY from the wood, too, that I will share soon!)

I had been looking for the perfect way to display family photos that wasn’t just a picture frame.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a frame. I just wanted something more rustic, more unique, just something different. And this barn wood needed a special project that really showed off its details and natural rustic charm.

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How to Create a Rustic Picture Frame with Reclaimed Barnwood: Step-by-Step Easy Tutorial

Step 1: Make the picture frame.

Once you determine the dimensions you wanted for the frames, cut the barn wood down to size using a compound miter saw. Don’t let the power tools scare you. A miter saw is one of the easiest power tools to use.

You’ll want to make 45-degree angle cuts so the frames could be joined together with a miter joint in the corners.

After the cuts were done, I used a Kreg Jig to drill pocket screw holes on alternating sides of the frames.

Then positioned the wood pieces and clamp them down to the tabletop. Drilled them together with Kreg pocket hole screws. You shouldn’t need any wood glue here, but it doesn’t hurt to add it if you want.

With the barn wood not being completed square and even, it is best to focus on lining up the inside corners of the frames and allowing the outside corners to be uneven in some cases.

Once the rustic picture frames were assembled, you can use a utility knife to carve the corners down in some areas to even them out and further contribute to the rustic nature of the frames.

I have to admit, making picture frames is one of my least favorite DIY projects due to how accurate things have to be, but in this case, the desired rustic look helped mitigate some of that need for perfection.

Alternative idea: You could also use an old frame that you find at a thrift store or yard sale instead of building one. That’s what I did for our DIY monthly photo frame project. Just make sure that it is a wooden frame, made out of real wood so that you can twist in the eye hooks. You also could even use an old window (now that’s a really great idea, don’t you think?)

Step 2: Attach eye hooks.

Now that the rustic picture frame is put together, you can twist eye hooks into place on the inside edge of the picture frame.

I found 4 square eye hooks that I had used in the DIY Monthly Photo Frame Display. You can find these at the craft store or hardware store.

You could also use a staple gun to attach the twine instead of using eye hooks. There are so many different ways to customize this rustic frame project by using what you have.

I didn’t measure exactly where to put them. I eyeballed it because I didn’t want it to look too “exact”.

Step 3: String twine between the hooks.

Then, I string some twine between the top two hooks and the bottom two hooks.

Make sure to use more than you need, as the excess can always be cut off.

Also, be sure to pull the twine as tight as you can; the clips and pictures really weigh the twine down. I had to redo the twine a few times to get it just right.

Step 4: Hang the rustic picture frame on the wall.

Then, you can hang the picture frame on the wall. I used 3M Command Picture Strips to hang it.

Step 5: Add your favorite photos.

This step is the best part. It is time to add your favorite photos.

I used some oversized clothespins to clip on some pictures onto the twine. I cut some of the pictures down from their original 4×6 size just so they weren’t all the same.

You could clip anything here, not just pictures. Some herb stems, baby footprint cards, Christmas cards, and greeting cards, to name a few.

And, that’s it! Not too bad, right??

You guys, if you feel intimidated by the 45-degree cuts, you could always just cut them with straight lines and have them meet at a 90-degree angle instead.

Then you would just attach the wood pieces together with nails from the side with a nail gun or use a metal bar in the back of your frame screwed into both pieces.

The Final Look: DIY Rustic Picture Frame for Family Memories

Here’s the finished project!

Who knew making rustic wood frames was so easy, right? I never would think that you could make your own photo frame that quickly.

Aren’t the details in the rustic wood amazing!! Depending on what type of wood you use, you could also customize it further with different colors or different styles. Think wood stain, spray paint, white wash with white paint, acrylic paint, or even something fun with mod podge.

Even if you don’t have barn wood laying around as we did, you can use any piece of wood! Scrap wood or wooden pallets would be perfect for the frame pieces.

This simple project didn’t take much time to put together at all. I love how it turned out. This Simple DIY frame makes a great gift and is a great addition to your rustic home decor.

Wishing you a joyful day!