DIY Network

Copper Pipe Picture Frames Frame your photos in classy copper. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-125

Solder up a great look for your photos and art.

People are always looking for new and creative ways to frame photos, and Michele Beschen is no exception. Her copper frames are a great solution: They're beautiful, they're easy and you won't find them on everybody else's walls.

This is the perfect project for a newbie who wants to get started working with copper: It's small, it uses inexpensive stock and you don't have to solder if you don't want to. So scroll down and take the first step to B. Original with copper!

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Copper Picture Frames

Materials:

copper pipe
pipe cutter
fireproof work surface
propane torch
flux and solder
wire pipe cleaning brush
elbow fittings
pipe brackets
copper wire
pliers
clear acrylic
drill
screws
gloves
eye protection

Safety Alert: Work on a level, fireproof surface such as cementboard or metal.

	Figure A
	Figure B

• Cut the copper pipe to fit whatever size artwork or photo you're working with. Cut the pipe slightly larger than the outside dimensions of the piece.

• Fit the frame together and solder. You can use fittings that already have solder in them if you want to save a step or aren't sure about your soldering skills. You also can simply glue the pipe together, but the solder does add to the look of the final piece.

  Safety Alert: Always wear gloves and eye protection when soldering.

• With the basic frame built, it's time to mount the artwork. Michele Beschen sandwiched her photos between two sheets of clear acrylic. She peeled the protective paper off one side of each sheet, and pressed the photo between the two unpapered sides. She then drilled pilot holes and screwed the acrylic together snugly before taking off the outside paper sheets (figure A); this helped protect the acrylic from scratches and dings if the screwdriver or drill were to slip. You also can drill larger holes and bolt the sheets together.

• Drill holes through your pipe(figure B) to wire your pictures or artwork to the frame (figure C). You also can hang hardware cloth inside the frame and clip pictures to it.
  

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

• To hang the frame, either drill holes in the frame and install eyebolts (figure D) or use copper pipe brackets you screw to the wall.