How to Frame a Book on the Wall

Making the Back

• 1

  Measure the width and length of the opened book. Record this measurement on a piece of paper.

• 2

  Cut the board that will support the book. Add 5 inches to the width measurement and 5 inches to the length measurement of the book.

• 3

  Transfer these measurements to the 24-inch-by-24-inch plywood with a pencil, tape measure and straight edge. Cut the piece out with a circular saw.

Making the Book Support

• 4

  Cut two pieces of ½-inch square dowel using the exact width measurement of the opened book with a compound miter saw.

• 5

  Cut two pieces of the ¼-inch round dowel using the height -- or vertical length -- measurement of the book plus an additional 1/2 inch added to that measurement.

• 6

  Mark 2 inches in from each end of the two square dowel pieces. Drill a ¼-inch wide and ¼-inch deep hole into each of these four marks.

• 7

  Apply wood glue in each hole, and insert the ends of the two round dowels into the holes of one square dowel piece.

• 8

  Insert the other ends of the round dowels into the other square dowel piece with the pre-drilled holes. This piece is the front part of the book support.

• 9

  Apply a bead of wood glue to the side of the book support that will lay flat on the board. Place the book support on the board, centered from the top to bottom and side to side.

• 10

  Tap two ½-inch finishing nails into the top and bottom of the book support to secure it to the back. The cover of the book will slide in between the two vertical round dowels, and the bottom of the book will rest on the horizontal square dowel that is the bottom part of the book support.

Making the Frame

• 11

  Measure the width and length of the edges of the board that the book support is now attached to.

• 12

  Mark the width measurement on a piece of molding with a pencil, and cut two straight, 90-degree-angled pieces with the compound miter saw.

• 13

  Mark the length measurement on a piece of molding, and cut two straight, 90-degree-angled pieces.

• 14

  Spin the base of the compound miter saw until it locks in at the 45-degree mark. This is the position used to make square mitered corners.

• 15

  Cut miter corners into the four molding pieces. Each piece will have opposing miter cuts that are wider along the outer edge of the frame and narrower along the inner edge of the frame. A good way to keep track of which way to make the cuts is to sketch the diagonal line at each corner of the wood molding. Line up each diagonal line to the blade on the compound miter saw and cut.

Assembling the Frame

• 16

  Turn the pieces face down on a work surface, and align the width sides perpendicular to the length sides, joined at the corners.

• 17

  Apply a thin bead of wood glue in between the meeting ends of the frame, at all four corners.

• 18

  Tap in the V-nails to join the corners together. Hold the corners together with one hand, and tap a V-nail -- that crosses over the joint -- with the other hand. Insert a V nail at each corner.

• 19

  Apply wood glue to the wrong side of the frame, and lay it onto the book support board. Tack it into the board with ½-inch finishing nails.

Finishing the Book Frame

• 20

  Hammer in the picture-hanging hardware. Locate the top center of the back of the board, align the picture hanging hardware and tap it in place with a hammer.

• 21

  Stain or paint the entire book support frame, including the back, dowel supports, outer frame and edges.

• 22

  Insert the book into the frame. Use clear plastic or decorative clips to hold the book open on a desired page.

• 23

  Hang the framed book. Tap a picture hook centered above the book into the wall, and hang the picture frame on it.