In the flurry leading up to the open house, the top priority (besides fixing the fire pole) was getting some art hung in our studio. Canvas wrapped prints are our favorite way to show off our work, but even at photographer prices, they add up quick. When we made the move to St Louis and opened our first stand-alone studio, we invested in a large format printer that has more than paid for itself thanks to numerous prints (for us and for clients). Printing is just the first step, so Aaron put together a little tutorial on how to make wrapped canvas prints.

First miter cut 1 x 2 pieces of pine to create the stretcher bars.

If you’re a perfectionist (which I say with love, because I am one as well), you can bevel the front edge so just 1/8″ of canvas touches the wood on the front of the frame, making for a nice sleek edge.

Nail each frame together.

Flip the print over (it’s good to have some Kraft paper down at this point to protect the image) and center the frame.

Wrap and staple, starting with the long edge.

A stretching tool will allow you to pull with one hand and staple with the other. Make the print as tight as possible.

After the edges are stapled, fold and staple the corners.

Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat (as necessary)

For the back, cut Kraft paper so that you have some overlap then attach it with hot glue.

Run an edge cutting tool set to 1/8″ along the side of the print to get a perfect edge.

Then add hanging hardware.

So, is this just a photographer skill or have any DIYers out there been dying to know how to stretch canvas prints?