Pro Handyman Blog

Repairing a wooden picture frame is a simple carpentry job. Usually, when a picture frame has been damaged, you get a split between the mitered corners and they start to come apart.

You can reinforce the corners of the frame very simply. You can pick up the necessary items at any home center. You will need a mending plate and some wood screws. I typically use a 2” mending plate and #6 screws that are ½” long. Just make sure the length of the screw isn’t long enough that it penetrates the front of the frame.

Turn the frame face-down on a non-scratching surface. You will need to pull the two corner pieces together tightly so that you can secure them with the mending strip. They make special picture frame clamps, but you don’t need to go through the expense of these. You can use a series of bar clamps to squeeze the frame together, or even try taping the corners after you pull it together. Place the mending plate on the back so that it spans the corner. Drill pilot holes in the locations and screw in the screws that will hold the mending plate to the back of the frame. Once the mending plate is tightened you can remove whatever method you used to temporarily hold the corner together, as the frame will be very solid.