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How to stretch a painting

February 8, 2010 |  Tagged , , | Leave a Comment

Why buy a painting un-stretched?

Buying a painting un-stretched can be a great way to purchase a very large painting for a reasonable price. When you buy a painting un-stretched it will be shipped to you rolled in a shipping tube. You can save a lot of money on shipping costs considering how expensive it is to ship large paintings. It is also very cost effective if you decide to stretch the painting yourself. If you can wrap a present, you can stretch a painting.

How to stretch a painting?  stretch

First you will need to build your frame. You can use materials from your local home improvement store. Once you’ve decided on what size to create the canvas, cut four pieces of 1×2s with 45 degree angles at each end.  The most important thing is to make equal, 45 degree cuts at each end so that the wood fits together properly at the corners. Once the frame is assembled you can begin stretching the painting.  

First thing you’ll want to do is lay the stretcher bar frame face down on the canvas, and fold up each edge to make sure you have plenty of canvas to go over the bars. Use scissors or a utility knife to cut out an appropriately sized piece.

stapleFold the canvas over the stretcher bar on one side and put in your first staple. Then spin the canvas around and do the opposite side. We highly recommend using canvas stretching pliers. They can be purchased at your local art and craft store for around $8.  They make stretching a lot easier. Now that you’ve got two opposite sides stapled, rotate the canvas and do the exact same thing for the third and forth side. Staple the canvas every two inches.  

 Once you reach the corners, you’re almost done—basically you just need to fold the corner flaps to one side or the other. You’ll want to fold the canvas like a present and use several staples to secure it. 

 Stretching your own painting can save you a lot of money when buying an original painting. fold

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