I had no idea custom framing was so expensive until I needed a frame for a very large watercolor painting that I bought and love. When the frame options were going to cost more than the art itself I had to hit the pavement in search of a better solution.
I’m thrilled to say I didn’t have to look any further than my local hardware store. I bought aluminum and vinyl door jamb (yes, with a “b”) weather-stripping. The weather-stripping came in a set of three. Two strips measured 84” long and a shorter strip was 36” long. The price was about $15.00.
There are so many different finishes to choose from to match your art like white, nickel, silver, gold, and bronze which is what I decided to go with.
Check out Loews.com for weather-stripping in a variety of finishes:
My hardware store cut the pieces exactly to the measurements I needed for $5.00 extra and they did it while I waited. Each strip has pre-drilled nail holes so I used extra large upholstery tacks (5/8” wide) in a brushed nickel finish to give my art frame that industrial look.
For a package of 500 tacks be prepared to spend about $46.00. You have to buy them in bulk, but I end up using them for so many different projects so it’s worth it. What can I say…it’s frame-tastic and I came in way under budget!
