DIY Floating Frames for Canvas
A floating frame is a simple way to make a canvas feel finished without covering the artwork itself.
For this build I used reclaimed pallet wood, cleaned it up, milled it into usable stock and built custom frames with a consistent reveal around each canvas.
DIY Floating Canvas Frame Video
Turning Reclaimed Pallet Wood Into Finished Frames
This project starts with rough pallet wood and turns it into something that looks much more refined. The goal was to keep the character of the reclaimed material while still producing straight, consistent frame parts that could be assembled accurately.
Preparing the Pallet Wood
The first step is removing hardware, scraping away dirt and checking each board before milling. Once the usable pieces are cleaned up, they can be flattened and ripped into consistent strips for the frame.
Building the Floating Frame
The frame is sized slightly larger than the canvas so the artwork appears to float inside it. Keeping the reveal consistent on all four sides is what gives the finished frame its clean gallery-style look.
Assembly and Finishing
After dry fitting, the frame can be glued and fastened, sanded and finished. The reclaimed wood still shows its original character, but the final result feels intentional rather than rustic or rough.
This is one of my favorite ways to reuse pallet material because the wood starts out looking disposable and ends up becoming part of the finished artwork.
Tools & Products
Quick links to grab any of the tools and hardware you see in the video.1
Hyde Contour Scraper
Used during pallet preparation to help scrape away dirt, finish and stubborn material before milling the reclaimed boards.
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Digital Caliper
Useful for checking stock thickness and keeping the milled frame parts consistent during the build.
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