Make a picture frame for flat-screen TV

Yes, a flat-panel TV can be integrated harmoniously with its surroundings! How? Simply by framing it with decorative moulding. Choose a style of moulding that you already have in the room or one that matches your decor.

For this project we used polyurethane moulding, which is light, simple to work with and easy to attach to the wall. You could alternatively use wood or MDF moulding.

Level 1, less than one hour.
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List of tools
List of materials
Cutting list
Preparation
Assembly
NOTE:
Cutting moulding requires care and precision. The saw blade must be set in the right direction (left or right), at 45º, and the moulding must be positioned so that its flat surfaces (those usually in contact with the wall and ceiling) are resting on the saw’s table and fence.

The frame made for this project is 3" thick once assembled. Before starting the project, measure the thickness of your screen, as well as the distance between it and the wall once it is attached to the wall mount. Depending on the model of TV, the frame can either be fastened directly to the wall or it might be necessary to build a box to fill the space between the frame and the wall. This box would be built from ¾" pine and the frame is mounted on the box once the box is attached to the wall.

List of tools

  • Mitre saw
  • Level
  • Pneumatic nailer (for installation)
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape

List of materials

  • 2 lengths of crown moulding, 96" long by 5" wide
  • Contact adhesive
  • 18-gauge nails for finishing nailer (for installation)
  • 2 keyhole fastener plates for shelves, with screws
  • Primer
  • Paint

Cutting list

Sand the edges smooth as needed.
Both ends of all the parts are cut at 45º.
PartsQuantityMaterialDimensions
A - Side2Crown mouldingHeight of screen + ¼"
B - Top/Bottom2Crown mouldingWidth of screen + ¼"

Preparation

  1. Cut the end of one length of moulding at 45º.
  1. Measure the height of the screen + ¼", then mark this measurement on the moulding, starting from the inside corner of the 45º cut.
  1. At the mark you just made, cut the moulding again at 45º, so as to obtain one side A. Repeat the above steps to make the other side A.

  2. Make top and bottom B in the same way, this time measuring the width of the screen plus ¼".

Assembly

  1. Arrange the parts around the screen to check that they fit together well.
  1. Paint the parts before assembling.

  2. Apply contact adhesive to the ends of each part and leave it to ‘touch dry’, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  1. Carefully position the end of one side A against the end of a top/bottom B. When they are touching, press them together firmly. Glue all the parts together to form the frame.

  2. Touch up the paint if necessary.

  3. Mark the location of the frame on the wall.
If the frame is thick enough to completely conceal the sides of the flat screen, fasten the frame directly to the wall using the pneumatic nailer and 18-gauge finishing nails. Make sure to nail directly into the wall studs if you are using wood or MDF moulding, since these materials are heavier than polyurethane.
If, once mounted on the wall, the sides of the flat screen are not completely covered by the thickness of the frame, build a ‘box’ from ¾" pine, making the sides high enough to raise the frame away from the wall so that it comes level with the front of the screen.
Zoom in
  1. Build a box 2" smaller than the frame in height and length, so that the edges of the frame, once installed, overlap the box by 1" on all sides.

  2. Paint the box.

  3. Nail the frame to the box with the pneumatic finishing nailer and 18-gauge nails.
  1. Screw a fastener plate to the back of both vertical sides of the box, 3” from their top end. To fit the box snugly against the wall, sink the plates into the back of the wood instead of simply screwing them to the surface. To do this, draw around the edges of the plates and cut out the wood within the marks using a small chisel, to the same depth as the plates themselves. Then screw in the plates.

  2. Draw a level line along the wall and make the two marks corresponding to the position of each screw.

  3. Fasten anchor dowels to the wall at the marks made previously, then insert the 1 ½" screws into the anchors, leaving the head protruding by about ¼".

  4. Place the ‘box and frame’ assembly in position, inserting the screw heads into the holes of the keyhole plates. Adjust the depth of the screws as needed, so that the unit sits flush against the wall.
Once you have checked the positioning and all the measurements, remove the TV screen from the wall to be sure not to damage it when installing the frame.
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