Dust Cover A Wood Picture Frame

Sometimes people like to finish the back side of their framed pieces by taking it to the next level. In order to do that, they put paper on the back to protect against dust and insects. This video shows how you can do that easily.

Start with double-sided tape that we sell on our site. Place the sticky side of the roll down along the edge of the back of the frame. Try to keep the tape about a 16th of an inch away from the edge of the frame and cover the perimeter.

Be safe while you apply this tape, as the release paper can be sharp and cause paper cuts. Once the tape has been applied, peel the release paper off the frame, exposing the sticky adhesive on the back of the frame.

I like to do this next step a little different than other people. I like to actually lay the paper on the ground. Then, I like to set my piece down on top of the paper. This keeps the piece from getting wrinkled. Next, push down on the frame to allow the adhesive to stick to the paper, and flip the piece over on its face. Then run your finger along the edge to ensure that the paper is bonded to the frame.

The next step is to hold a razor blade between your thumb and index fingers, and run your thumb along the side of the frame, cutting the paper as you go. This comes with practice. Try not to slip off the edge of the frame or cut yourself. After all four sides are trimmed you have a perfectly papered back that looks professional.

Many people think, "Well some people tell me to now take some water and spray that on here." We don’t recommend water. At this stage, the back looks finished and professional without wrinkles, and water can complicate things. We’ve heard of horror cases where spraying water on the back of the paper caused mildew to grow on the inside of the dust cover where moisture was trapped, and in other instances, tightening the dust cover with water caused a frame’s corners to crack from too much pressure and tightness. So we don’t recommend moistening your paper at this stage.

You can use glue instead of double-stick adhesive, but it makes more of a mess and also complicates the process. Double-stick tape isn't expensive and it works really well. And that's how you put paper on the back of a picture frame.