Farmhouse Clipboard Frame DIY

I absolutely LOVE the simplicity of modern farmhouse decor! Classic neutrals with an earthy edge! Especially when I can add to it’s charm by creating something myself. Today, I’m sharing with you guys one of my favorite pieces, a  Farmhouse Frame DIY (clipboard style!) I know it’s a long strange name, but I wasn’t sure how else to describe it.

These are AMAZING! They’re so simple and easy to style, and would work great in any home. Whether you’re displaying children’s art or hanging an awesome printable (wink, wink!), these frames make a great display.

Enough fluff! Let’s get to the DIY part, so you can start enjoying your own DIY Farmhouse Frame!

Step One: Purchase/Gather Supplies

This is a pretty easy project that doesn’t require a bunch of supplies. In fact, most of what I used, I already had laying around the house left over from other projects!

Supplies

• Wood (10″x1″x4′)
• Stain (color of your choice)
• Bulldog Clips
• Screws (#8 3/4″)
• Self Leveling Saw Tooth Hangers

Tools

• Brush (as suggested by stain brand)
• Sandpaper (220 grit)
• Drill
• Hammer
• Saw (optional)

Step Two: Prep/Stain+Polyurethane Wood

Head over to your local home improvement store and pick up some wood. They will have several options to choose from. Keep in mind, if you will be using your frame for printer paper, you’ll need your wood measurements to be larger than 8 1/2″x11″.

You can get pre-cut boards and avoid using a saw. I ended up buying a board and cutting it down. If you go the route I did, I would suggest not pushing it to 12 inches per section. It made my frame pretty tight once I added the clips.

Basically, you want to cut the board with enough spacing on each edge to frame whatever you will be hanging in it. The 10″ width works great for an 8 1/2″ printer paper. You’ll just have to decide how much you want in length. (The clips will require about an inch of space as well as however much length you want above them.)

Once your boards are ready, you can start staining them! (If you cut the boards, make sure to sand the edges smooth before staining). I ended up using a stain polyurethane combo so I didn’t have to do both steps. Follow the directions on your stain and repeat however many times as necessary, sanding between each coat.

Step Three: Install Hooks/Hangers

While gathering supplies for this project, I looked EVERYWHERE for the bulldog clips I wanted to use. (At the time, I didn’t know they were called bulldog clips!). I went into craft and hobby, office supply, hardware, and home improvement stores. I came up empty handed at all of them!! You can find them on Amazon, but I didn’t want to wait so long.

Finally, my second trip to the craft store, I discovered them in the paper craft section! I guess they were intended to be used for scrapbooking. So, I ended up having to purchase screws for them, because who uses screws on paper?

The saw tooth hangers can be purchased pretty much anywhere. I got mine from Lowe’s, but I’ve also seen them at Wal-Mart or Target.

I’m a lazy perfectionist, so I took general measurements for where I wanted the clips to be and screwed them down. You can decide if you want them closer or farther apart. On the 10″ board (which actually was just over 9″), I put the clips 1 1/2″ from each edge. I liked the look of two clips better, but you could get away with only doing one if you prefer. I find that two helps balance the print better, so it’s not flopping around on the frame.

Pro Tip: tack on the saw tooth hangers first so you’re clips don’t interfere or get damaged while hammering.

Pro Tip 2: place the hangers the same distance from the top for each frame, so they hang identically on the wall.

Step Four: Find an Awesome Printable and Enjoy!!

 

So simple, right!! This really is an easy project that anyone can do. The worst part is waiting for the coats of stain to dry.

You can hang them anywhere in the house, and they will look AMAZING! I love using mine to display Bible verses or my little one’s art projects. If you’re interested in some Bible verse printables……dah, dah, dah, I have some great options in my Printables Library!! In fact, the ones I used for this posts photography are available there!

If you enjoyed this DIY project, check out my other DIY posts as well!

Some of my favorites are:

• DIY Tray Decor
• DIY Statement Candle Decor

What kind of artwork do you like displaying in your home? Are you a fan of the Farmhouse trend? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!!