You can use materials and tools that anyone can find at their local hardware store, and often make large canvases for a tiny fraction of the price that it would cost you to buy them already made.
The inner frame, or structure, of every canvas is created out of 1×2 wood, and quarter-round trim.
Once decided on what size to create the canvas, you should cut four pieces of 1×2s (one for each side of the canvas), with 45 degree angles at each end.
You can use a miter box and hand saw, or power tools - either way works just fine. The most important thing is to make good, equal, 45 degree cuts at each end so that the wood fits together properly at the corners.
One cut of the saw actually creates an entire corner, as you can see in the picture to the left. All you need to use is a simple hand-powered staple gun to secure the corners together, and usually place 3 staples on both front and back of the joint. With 6 staples fastening each corner, the entire frame becomes very strong and rigid.
Once all four corners are stapled the frame might look complete, but it’s really not. When stretching canvas, it’s important to keep it raised off of the frame; which is why it is important to go to the trouble of cutting quarter-round trim pieces as well, to make a lip, or edge, that runs along the entire outside border of the frame.
You can cut the trim pieces with whatever tool you used on the other pieces of wood. However, it may be easier to use the miter box instead of a power tool, since the trim pieces are so thin. If you do use a power saw, brace the trim piece with another piece of wood so that your fingers don’t have to be anywhere close to the blade when cutting.
Unlike the 1×2s, a single cut with the saw does not make a perfect corner out of two trim pieces. It will always be necessary to take one piece back and cut off another small amount to get the right angle. Its best to lay a long piece down and mark just once where the next cut is, and then repeat that process again and again. Cutting all at once doesn’t usually work out well since the angles to cut on the quarter-rounds are trickier than on the 1×2s.
To create a raised lip or edge, you’ll need to place one flat side of the quarter-round against the stretcher bars, and the other flat side facing outward. The curved length of the quarter-rounds should be facing inward toward the center of the frame.
Now all that’s needed is to fasten the quarter-rounds permanently in place. Nail them to the frame with headless nails. The ones I recommend come in a package labeled “wire brads” but finishing nails would work as well.
Make sure to buy nails that are no longer than the width of your quarter-round and 1×2 combined, and space them along the trim pieces about every 4 inches, or until it’s solidly in place.
When the entire frame is finished, it’s time to start stretching the canvas. All you need is a square or rectangular piece of canvas a little larger than the size of your stretcher bars, and the same staple gun used on the corners of the frame.
Because of the depth, the entire front face of your canvas will have the same feeling, from the center to the edge.
Although there are other solutions for making canvases, this is how to make home made ones.
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