Framing pictures can be an expensive business. We have dozens of pictures sitting in our cupboard and not on our walls. The other day I decided to sort this out by setting up my own framing workshop. I figured that for the same price as getting a couple of pictures professionally framed, I could buy everything I for mounting photos myself, and I could raid charity shops for second hand frames to upcycle.

Here is the list of kit I bought for a total of £53:

Black A2 Graduate Mountboard (Pack of 5) – £8.99
Marking Level (900 mm) – £8.51
Logan Mount Cutter – £20.34
Brown Paper Framers Masking Tape 38mm x 50m – £2.69
Glazier Points – £2.96
A2 Cutting Mat – £7.35

For the charity shops I set a ground rule that I would spend no more than £2 on a single frame, and no more than £10 total. Here is my haul:

Making a mount.

With the raw materials in place, I set about the business of my inaugural picture framing:

1: Select old second-hand frame to be given the treatment.

2: Remove the back (you may have to pry out the old staples/ glazier points with pliers)

3. Draw around the backing board on the reverse side of the mounting board

4. Cut out your rectangle and check for size

5. Draw a rectangle on the reverse of the backing board that is slightly smaller than the picture you are framing, and mark out the wastage.

6. Using the mounter cutter and a steel marking level, carefully cut along each line. Remember the mount cutter should be on the inside of the frame facing out. There is a line on the mount cutter which you line up with the edge of the frame where you want to start your cut. Push down firmly and cut slowly.

7. Once you have done your four cuts the middle should pop-out leaving you with a finished mount.

8. Tape the photo in place

9. Put the frame back together and, if necessary, insert new Glazier points