Aged Calendar Framing

Ever come across a print you adore but you're beyond the age of postering walls? I had the most adorable calendar in 2017 that kept me thinking year round, "What could I do with this come January?" Obviously I can't sell anything I make because it's not my own art, but that doesn't mean I can't use if for my own décor! And sure, I could be boring and put it behind glass in a frame, but that's really not my style. Besides, my home has slowly been changing from old world to more of an industrial and distressed wood motif, so it's time I learned to start framing. 

I began this journey by picking out my favorite pieces that'll blend best with the room. 

Step 1: Cut a piece of 1/4" plywood to fit the poster. 

Step 2: Measure, cut and staple the back support onto the plywood. Lightly sand the edges if needed. 

Step 3: Measure, cut and staple the side support. Lightly sand the edges if needed.

Step 4: Glue the poster onto the plywood. I suggest a glue stick (heavy on the edges) because liquids are likely to form pools that leave a bubbling effect. 

Step 5: Fill the staple indentations with wood filler, wipe away the excess, then sand once dry. Stain the wood. Depending on the brand or color, you may want to wipe as you go like I did because the cedar instantly soaked it in.

As much as I loved the bright colors of this piece, I wanted it toned down a bit, so I chose to stain the poster as well. Wipe quickly so you don't oversaturate the paper.

For reference, I used cedar wood on both pieces. For stain, Jacobean on the square; English Chestnut on the rectangle.

For me, this was almost a free project. The calendar was from the previous year, the cedar was left over from a deck project and the stain was just one of many cans in the garage. The saws and staple gun were also previously purchased. The only thing I really had to get was the plywood.