DIY Art Frame TV Hack
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Have you ever dreamed about owning a “Frame TV” or love the art frame TV look but it’s just a little bit out of your price range? Sharing the best way to get the look for less with this Frame TV hack. Learn how to easily make a frame for your TV, and how to add tv art!
This project can easily be completed in a few hours and under $50 (not including a TV).
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Want to skip the frame and just display art? This is a great and easy option to do with any smart TV. Read on to learn how!
To completed this project there are a few different materials that you will need in addition to tools if you do not have them already. These are tools that I think are great to have for DIY, especially if you are just starting out.
What you need to make the Frame TV Hack
Materials
- Chair Rail / or moulding of choice
- Corner Braces
- Smaller Screws (check your moulding)
- Wood Glue
- Wood Filler
- Paint or Rub ‘n Buff (optional)
- Sticky Velcro, Mounting Tape, or Quarter Round
Tools
The Steps to making the Frame TV Hack
Before attempting this DIY, you should ensure that your TV remote controller works when there is frame along the bottom of the TV where the sensor is. You can do this by taping a piece of moulding to the bottom before making any cuts to it. If it does not work, there are Infared Remote Control extenders you can buy to address this problem.
Measure your TV
The first step to the frame tv hack is to measure the width of your screen on the TV (not including the frame of the TV). Take a look at the legs on your TV, if they angle out make sure that your moulding will fit or if you have to move it up a little bit to cover a tiny strip of the TV screen. I had to do that to accommodate the legs.
Cutting the Moulding for your Frame TV Hack
Once you have done this, cut your first end of the chair rail moulding and measure from the inner edge of the moulding cut to the total width of the TV screen. Take note of the below photo to understand how the edge should be cut. A helpful tip is to look at a picture frame and the angles at the corners, this is what you should follow. If you are cutting this on the floor like I did, put an old towel down to protect your floors/table.
Repeat the first step until you have the four edges of the frame cut. It is just repeating the same step over and over! Hold each piece up to the TV to ensure it fit correctly for the frame hack. You should have 2 longer pieces for the top and bottom of the TV that are identical, and 2 pieces for each side of the TV that are identical.
Corner Braces
Once you have all of your pieces of frame cut, flip them over. Line up the corner brace on the far edge of the moulding and screw it in to place. Ensure your screws are not too long because they will go through the moulding! It is a little easier to use a drill/driver than a manual screwdriver but not impossible.
After the corner brace is secured to one piece of the moulding, add wood glue to the cut edge and line it up with the next piece of moulding to create a corner. Flip it over to ensure it lines up perfectly without gaps where the “frame” meets and even secure with some painters tape. Flip it back over and attach the screws. You now have one half of your frame hack made! Repeat this process until the full frame is made.
Adding Wood Filler to the Corners
Now that your frame is made, take a look at the corner joints. If you need to, add a little bit of wood filler to the corners and smoot it out with your fingers. Ideally, you don’t want to leave any excess that needs to be sanded. If it isn’t smooth, once dry, take a little bit of sand paper to smooth it.
Attaching your Frame to the TV
Velcro or Mounting Tape
Next you need to think about how you’d like to attach the frame to your TV to completed the hack. The easier way to attach it to your tv is with sticky velcro strips. Attach the velcro together, and then stick it to the perimeter of your tv. From there, remove the sticky backing of the top piece and add your frame. Alternatively, you could use mounting tape to permanently mount the frame to the TV. If you use this method and ever want to remove the frame you can use something like Goo Gone to remove any sticky residue from mounting tape/residue.
Non-permanent Mounting
If you want a non-permanent solution, you can do what I did. I had an extra piece of quarter round. Line up the frame to the tv, and on the back of the frame, draw a line where the tv frame met the new frame. I mounted a piece of quarter round at that line. This means that the frame can just rest on the tv without falling and without any sticky mounting!
How to get TV art on display
This is one of the best tricks for getting art on your TV occasionally and it really completes the frame tv hack. Ideal for when you have guests over to display something ither than a black screen. The art cycles through changing every 8-10 minutes so it won’t ruin your TV and only lasts an hour.
Open YouTube on your Smart TV or using a FireStick or Apple TV.
Search “Vintage TV Art“
You will find a YouTube channel dedicated to vintage TV art with various videos!
FAQs
By making a frame to surround the screen of your TV and using an app or YouTube to display art.
Artcast turns a blank TV screen into art galleries OR YouTube has videos that shuffle through different pieces of art as a video.
Yes! If you want to achieve the look of a Frame TV on a budget or with your existing TV, you can add a frame to it. If you are mounting it to the wall, you will want a slim ]profile TV and mount so it doesn’t stick out too far.
