Free Picture Frame Plans: An 8 x 10 Wood Frame With Cut List and Diagrams

This free plan builds a wood picture frame for an 8 × 10 in. photo. It uses one 1 × 3 board and one 1/2 × 2 hobby board, with crosscuts only and no router. The post gives the full cut list, a cutting diagram, a section drawing, part lengths for other photo sizes and step-by-step assembly diagrams. You can also download the plan as a printable PDF, with no sign-up.

The frame has two layers. The front layer is joined with butt joints. The back layer is turned the other way so it bridges those joints, and it stops short of the opening to form the rabbet that holds the glass. Frames are quick to make in batches, which suits selling.

Picture Frame Plans at a Glance

Photo size	8 × 10 in., with a 7-1/2 × 9-1/2 in. opening
Overall size	12-1/2 × 14-1/2 in., 1-1/4 in. deep
Wood	One 1 × 3 × 4 ft. board and one 1/2 × 2 × 4 ft. poplar hobby board
Joinery	Butt joints, with a glued and screwed back layer
Skill level	Beginner
Build time	About 2 hours of work, plus finish time (estimate)
Finish	Stain and clear finish, or paint

How This Frame Is Designed

• No router. Most frames need a rabbet cut with a router or table saw. Here the rabbet comes from the second layer, which stops 5/16 in. short of the opening.
• Joints that hold. End-grain butt joints are weak on their own. The back rails run across them and are glued and screwed to both parts, much like a lap joint. Our guide to types of wood joints explains the difference.
• A 1/4 in. lip. The front layer overlaps the photo by 1/4 in. on every side, so the edges of the print stay hidden.
• 1/16 in. of play. The back opening is 8-1/8 × 10-1/8 in., so standard 8 × 10 in. glass drops in without forcing.

Tools You Need

• Tape measure, square and pencil
• Miter saw, or a handsaw with a miter box, for square crosscuts
• Drill with 3/32 in. bit and a countersink
• Two bar clamps that open to 16 in. or more
• Sandpaper in 120, 180 and 220 grit, and a sanding block
• Glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth
• Safety glasses and hearing protection

Follow the instructions that came with your tools, and see our woodworking safety rules.

Materials and Hardware

Item	Actual size	Quantity
1 × 3 × 4 ft. board, pine or poplar	3/4 × 2-1/2 in.	1
1/2 × 2 × 4 ft. poplar hobby board	1/2 × 1-1/2 in.	1
Glass or acrylic, 8 × 10 in.	about 3/32 in. thick	1
Hardboard backer, 8 × 10 in.	1/8 in.	1
No. 6 × 1 in. flat-head wood screws	—	10
Turn buttons with screws	—	6
D-rings with screws, and picture wire	—	2 and about 18 in.
Felt bumpers	—	2
Wood glue	—	1 small bottle

Glass and acrylic in 8 × 10 in. are sold as frame replacements, or a hardware store can cut them. Acrylic is lighter and does not shatter, which helps when you ship frames. Our guide on where to buy wood covers boards and suppliers.

Cut List

All sizes are in inches. The letter matches the drawings.

Part	Name	Qty	Thickness	Width	Length	Stock	Notes
A	Front stile	2	3/4	2-1/2	14-1/2	1 × 3	Full height; left and right.
B	Front rail	2	3/4	2-1/2	7-1/2	1 × 3	Fits between the stiles; top and bottom.
C	Back rail	2	1/2	1-1/2	11-1/8	1/2 × 2 poplar	Full width; bridges the front joints.
D	Back stile	2	1/2	1-1/2	10-1/8	1/2 × 2 poplar	Fits between the back rails.

Cutting Diagram

Trim 1 in. off each board end first, so you start square. Each saw cut removes about 1/8 in. Our post on how to measure, mark and cut wood covers the basics.

Other Photo Sizes

Photo and glass	Frame size	A length	B length	C length	D length
5 × 7	9-1/2 × 11-1/2	11-1/2	4-1/2	8-1/8	7-1/8
8 × 10	12-1/2 × 14-1/2	14-1/2	7-1/2	11-1/8	10-1/8
11 × 14	15-1/2 × 18-1/2	18-1/2	10-1/2	14-1/8	14-1/8

Larger sizes need longer boards. Add up the part lengths before you buy.

How the Parts Fit Together

Drawings With Dimensions

Front View and Section

The section shows how the back layer forms the rabbet, and how the glass, photo and backer sit in it.

Back View

How to Build the Picture Frame, Step by Step

Step 1: Cut the Parts

Trim 1 in. off the end of each board. From the 1 × 3, cut the two front stiles (A) at 14-1/2 in. and the two front rails (B) at 7-1/2 in. From the 1/2 × 2, cut the two back rails (C) at 11-1/8 in. and the two back stiles (D) at 10-1/8 in. Cut each pair one after the other so they match. Square, clean ends make tight joints.

Step 2: Sand the Parts

Sand the faces and the inside edges of the front parts with 120 grit, then 180 grit. The inside edges show around the photo, so sand them smooth now. Do not round the ends of the parts.

Step 3: Glue the Front Layer

Lay a sheet of paper on a flat surface. Put the front parts face down: the stiles (A) at the sides and the rails (B) between them at the top and bottom. Spread glue on the ends of the rails, push the parts together and clamp across the frame. Check that the diagonals match, at about 19-1/8 in. Wipe off squeeze-out and let the glue set for the time on the bottle.

Step 4: Add the Back Layer

Keep the frame face down. Mark a line 11/16 in. in from every outside edge. Glue the back rails (C) across the top and bottom, on the line, so they cover the front joints. Glue the back stiles (D) between them. Drill 3/32 in. pilot holes through the back strips only, countersink them, and drive 10 No. 6 × 1 in. screws. Check that the 8 × 10 in. glass drops into the opening.

Step 5: Finish the Frame

Sand the front and the outside edges with 180 grit, then 220 grit, and ease the sharp corners. Apply stain and a clear finish, or paint. Let the finish cure for the time on the label before you fit the glass.

• Stain and a clear finish: pine can blotch, so a pre-stain conditioner helps.
• Paint: poplar paints well and suits a painted frame.
• Clear finish only: keeps the natural colour of the wood.

Step 6: Fit the Glass, Photo and Backer

Clean both sides of the glass. With the frame face down, drop in the glass, then the photo face down, then the backer. Screw on 6 turn buttons around the opening and turn them over the backer to hold the stack.

Step 7: Fit the Hanger

Screw a D-ring to each back stile, about a third of the way down from the top. Tie picture wire between them with a little slack. Stick felt bumpers on the two bottom corners so the frame hangs level and does not mark the wall.

Selling This Picture Frame

• Name the photo size the frame takes, the outside size, the wood and the finish.
• Say whether it comes with glass or acrylic. Acrylic is safer to ship.
• Offer a set of sizes using the table above.
• Cut parts for several frames at a time to save setup time.

Work out your price from your wood, glass, hardware, finish, time and selling fees. See how to set the final selling price on your craft and how to sell woodworking projects. For more items to make, see the top 10 woodcrafts to sell. Our wood finishing post covers stains and clear finishes.

Download the Printable Picture Frame Plan

The PDF has 9 pages on US Letter paper. It includes the cut list, the cutting diagram, the size table, every drawing in this post and the assembly steps. It is free, with no sign-up.

Download the picture frame plan (PDF)

Build status: plan checked by calculation; not yet test-built. Facts checked: November 2026.

Sources

• The Home Depot, 1/2 in. × 2 in. × 4 ft. poplar hobby board listing (actual 1/2 × 1-1/2 in.)