How to Put a Dust Cover on a Frame

A while back, I took down all my framed big-headed man drawings and opened those babies up. I needed to take them out of their frames and get them scanned into a digital format so that I could start selling art prints of my work. I still had the frames and the glass and foam board backing, but I never got around to putting them back together with the dust cover and mounting hardware.

So recently I was getting ready for an exhibit and it forced me to get them all framed again. I called a few frame shops to find out what it would cost to get the paper backing or dust covers put back onto the frames. They said probably about $15.00 per piece. Well, I had about eight or nine pieces to do and I thought that was a little out of my price range AND I would have to lug them over there AND wait a couple of weeks until they finished with them. Being the poor, lazy and impatient person that I am, I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how to put a dust cover on a framed picture.

"How hard could it be?" I thought. I've taught myself so many other things, this should be a cinch. A few Google searches brought up some web pages, but nothing that really told me how to do it. Also, I didn't know the term was "dust cover" so I kept searching for "paper backing on frame." Eventually, I got to a site that sold the materials in a kit that also came with instructions. Turns out, the process isn't hard at all. You just have to have the materials and know the process. So I'm here to share that with you to make your journey a little easier...I hope.

Here are the materials you will need (besides your already-framed piece):

• brown craft paper (sometimes spelled "kraft" paper)
• roll of double-sided adhesive transfer tape or -plain old Elmer's Glue
• spray bottle with water or wet sponge
• hairdryer (optional, but recommended)
• dust cover trimmer or a utility knife and straight edge (I highly recommend the dust cover trimmer. It's very easy to use.)

Once you have your supplies laid out, get your framed piece and lay it on a flat surface. The pic of my piece below shows the remnants of the dust cover that I had ripped off to remove my drawing from the frame, so just pretend that's not there. ;-) Cut your craft paper to a size about one to two inches larger than your frame on all sides. For example, if your frame is 20 x 26, add two inches to height and width, and cut a piece 22 x 28. It doesn't have to be exact. You just want the additional paper hanging over the side for cutting. Set the paper aside for later use.

Start rolling out your transfer tape onto each of the four sides of your frame, completing the process on each side before moving to the next one.

Step one: Roll out the tape


Step two: Press the tape firmly onto the frame, making sure that the tape is, in fact, adhering appropriately.











Step three: Peel the backing from the tape so that you are left with the double-sided tape sticking to the frame with another sticky side up to adhere to the paper that we will use in the next phase. Repeat this process until all four sides of your frame have the tape adhered.

OPTION 2: Apply white glue, such as Elmer's, along each side of the frame. I personally like the tape because it's not as messy in the next step.

Now we're ready for the next phase: Applying the craft paper.

Take the paper that you previously cut and dampen it in one of two ways. You can either spritz it with a spray bottle or wipe it with a damp sponge. I personally prefer the spritzing method.



Lay the dampened paper on top of your frame so that the paper is hanging over the sides. It doesn't have to be perfectly taut, since this will be taken care of in the drying phase.



Using your thumb and forefinger, crease the paper along the sides, so that the paper is folded over the edges, then run your finger over each side to press the paper onto the double-sided tape.



You don't have to do this next step, but I found it helpful. Fold the excess paper underneath your frame to hold it in place during the drying process. As the craft paper dries, it becomes stiff, so this will prevent the paper from lifting up.

This drying step can either be achieved by allowing the paper to air dry or you can hasten the process by using a hairdryer. I recommend it highly. Take the hairdryer and start blowing the paper dry. This is the cool part. As I stated previously, when the water begins to evaporate from the paper, it begins to stiffen and "shrink", removing the creases and crinkles right before your eyes. I enjoyed it. It doesn't take much to entertain me. This process will make the paper very taut and drum-like.

I've also included a video of the process below, so you can see how the paper begins to tighten up. You may want to turn your volume down, since it's a bit annoying with the hairdryer drone.




Once your paper is completely dry and taut, you're ready for the next phase: Trimming off the excess paper.

I highly recommend using a dust cover trimmer. It's specifically made for this process and will make your job much easier. Holding the trimmer at an upward angle with the point of the blade on the frame, begin making your cut by sliding the trimmer down the length of the frame. The trimmer has about an eighth of an inch lip on it so the blade will sit at the appropriate spot on the frame and guide the trimmer along the edge of the frame.

Once you've reached the bottom of the first side, pull the excess paper away and move on to the next side of the frame, repeating the process until all sides have been trimmed away.

You now have a fabulous dust cover to complete and finish off your lovely piece of art. The next step would be to apply mounting hardware, which is pretty simple, so I haven't included it in this tutorial.

By the time I got to my last framed piece, I felt like I was a pro. There are little nuances here and there, but this is the basic process. Happy framing all!