Floating acrylic picture frames carry an artsy museum-like magnificence to even the most ordinary areas. At times referred to as plexiglass frames or frameless image frames, these frames are my top decision for displaying one of a kind artwork prints and even posters. And they&rsquore a terrific different to conventional photo gallery partitions.
Their barely-there glimpse is ethereal and crisp and extremely higher touch. The greatest portion is that acrylic picture frames will get the job done with any style of decor from regular to classic, to my private favourite – world-wide bohemian chic.
But have you ever checked the rate of acrylic photo frames??? That gorgeous floating frame in the picture beneath will established you back again a good $120 bucks. For. A single. Frame. Yikes! Yep, soon after observing comparable prices somewhere else, I realized precisely what I essential to do. I needed to dig deep to generate a low-charge, large-close searching, Diy floating acrylic body. The acrylic body tutorial you are about to read through is handy for any individual wanting for simple, affordable strategies to improve the glimpse of their artwork assortment at house.
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What You&rsquoll Want
 
 Standoffs to mount your frames
 Acrylic sheets – 1 set of two for every single frame (hold reading for strategies on exactly where to discover them)
 A massive metal tent stake or nail (Idea: I discovered just one at Ace Components for $1.fifty)
 4 spring clamps to keep the acrylic in area while you get the job done on it
 A drill for mounting the wall hardware
Exactly where to Get Acrylic Sheets to Make the Floating Frames
 
 
To my shock, I uncovered a amount of spots wherever I could invest in acrylic sheets and even acrylic body kits. For occasion, I found these ready-manufactured acrylic body kits on Etsy. Unfortunately for get redirected here , the most significant dimensions readily available was eleven x 14. My artwork measured eleven x 17. Since I preferred a 3&rdquo acrylic border all all around the artwork, I wanted my frames to evaluate fourteen x twenty. This would assist me generate the illusion of significant parts of floating artwork.
 
Then I uncovered that Home Depot sold massive acrylic sheets also. But $116 was much more than I preferred to spend. Furthermore, I could by no means get a obvious respond to on irrespective of whether or not Household Depot would reduce the acrylic sheet into to the measurements I desired. Last but not least, I settled on Ace Hardware, where I obtained 4 eighteen&rdquox 24&rdquo acrylic sheets for $eleven.99 just about every. Each individual sheet is about the exact same thickness as a quarter inch piece of glass. Ace Components then slash the acrylic – free of charge of charge – into two sets of frames measuring 14×20. Et voila! Complete price with tax was just $fifty one.56.
 
Are the frames you have to have significantly smaller sized? If so, the offer will get even sweeter. Just inquire the Ace Components glass cutter if he has any left in excess of acrylic from past cuts that match your dimensions. Ace Hardware will sell them to you for a fraction of the primary value. I did that when recreating this tutorial and only invested a mere $one.50 for 4 nine x 11 sheets. Ace is certainly the place ya&rsquoll!
I know however that some definitely low-priced…ahem…frugal individuals will say "But Ola, I uncovered acrylic sheets even less costly at Pastime Lobby!". Enable the buyer beware nevertheless. Individuals are super thin, craft quality acrylic sheets and will never hold up over time.
 
Now for the standoffs. Just after ordering a established that was also little to make an affect, I settled on these reasonably priced silver 1/two&rdquo x 4/five&rdquo wall mount standoff bolts. They appear 20 to a pack.
How to &ldquoDrill&rdquo the Holes for the Acrylic Photograph Body
Drilling the holes to make your acrylic photograph frames could sound like a no-brainer to you, but it can get very tough. In point, not recognizing more about this crucial stage forced me to have to get far more acrylic simply because I ruined the 1st established. All of a sudden the spending plan for my oh-so-cost-effective Do-it-yourself acrylic frames amplified by 50 %. Ouch! Keep away from problems by shelling out near awareness to these directions.
You see, when drilling the holes for your standoffs you need to drill quite, incredibly gradually, or the acrylic will crack. I&rsquom heading to present you how to stay clear of that scenario completely. As a substitute of drilling the gap (like I did at to start with), do the pursuing:
DO NOT take away the protective plastic from the body
Mark the spots of your four holes on the to start with piece of acrylic. Use your to start with piece as a template for the rest of the pieces to make certain the holes are all line up.
Warmth the large steel stake or nail over a hearth
This is Substantially, significantly easier than drilling the gap. Use a pair of vice grips to hold the metal stake in location, and to prevent burning your self.
Pierce the site for the hole
Permit the melted edges of the plastic to amazing. These really should then snap appropriate building a clean hole for your standoff.
This is A great deal, a lot a lot easier than drilling the hole. Use a pair of vice grips to hold the metal stake in spot, and to stay clear of burning by yourself.
How to Put in Your Snazzy New Floating Wall Frames
Listed here is the least difficult way to put in your new frames:
Location one particular piece of completely ready-to-hold acrylic sheet straight onto the wall in which it will be hung
With your other hand, use a stage to make confident the acrylic frame is straight
Your standoffs will normally occur with anchors. I strongly advocate applying them. You don&rsquot want to wake up in the center of the night to uncover these fantastic thangs cracked and shattered on the flooring do you? I didn&rsquot believe you did. So remember to use the anchors.
Apprehensive about placing as well many holes in the wall? Just fasten the two leading standoffs to the wall. Then connect the standoffs to the bottom holes of the frame, but DO NOT fasten them to the wall. No just one will be the wiser. I observed this carried out at a resort when and it blew me away.
&mdash Ola
Congratulations! You&rsquove now made THE very best, most very affordable Do-it-yourself acrylic frames at any time. Now all you have to do is sit again and take pleasure in your newly developed chef d&rsquooeuvre (masterpiece).
Use a pen/pencil to mark the locale of the holes instantly on to the wall
Drill gap and insert anchor
Sandwich your print or photo concerning 2 parts of acrylic and thread the standoff via the holes to mount
