Now that you’ve selected your oval picture frame it’s time to properly prepare your photo to go inside the frame. This is not difficult to do, but here are some tips to keep in mind to make the process go smoothly.

1. Before you cut your picture to fit an oval frame, always make sure the photo looks good in an oval shaped frame first. The best way to check is to take the frame apart so you can place just the frame over the photo. To do this, first remove the frame back and then take out the glass and set it carefully to the side. Place the oval frame over your picture and center the frame around the subjects in your photo. This step will help you decide if you like how your picture looks inside an oval picture frame.

2. Next, take the glass from your oval picture frame and carefully place it over the photo where the frame had been. Adjust for best fit and eye appeal. Be careful when moving the glass so your photo doesn’t get damaged.

3. Be patient as you adjust the glass as you want the subject or individuals in the picture to be straight in the frame.  Aligning a subject in an oval frame isn’t as simple as aligning a rectangular or square picture frame so make sure it looks right. Ideally, the individuals in the photo should be centered in the frame and have equal amount of space around them. For vertical spacing the subject’s head should be approximately two-thirds of the way up from the base of the oval frame. Positioning the subject’s head in the center of the frame leaves too much space above and throws off the picture’s eye appeal.

4. When you’ve found the perfect position for your picture, carefully trace along the outside of the glass with a thin pen. Always avoid using thick pens or markers for tracing as they may bleed on the picture.

5. Now it’s time to cut. With a sharp pair of scissors carefully cut along the line you traced. If you have a mat knife you can certainly use it, however most people only have scissors available. Make sure your scissors are sharp because dull scissors can bend or crease your picture. Once your photo is cut, make sure to clean the glass and give it plenty of time to dry so it won’t cause any moisture damage on your picture.

6. Check to see if your oval picture frame came with frame backing. If it did, all you have to do is put the glass, photo and frame back on and you’re all done. If it didn’t come with backing, you can use an archival mat board or a piece of cardboard to make your own. The purpose of the frame backing is to help hold your picture and glass securely in place with the help of some small brad nails. If you need to make your own backing and are framing an important picture, you should use archival mat board because the acid in plain cardboard can degrade your photo over time.

In making your own frame back, the first thing you need to do is to place the frame face up on the cardboard or mat board. Then, trace along the outside edge of the oval picture frame so it will fit in your frame. Cut it out and then use brad nails (about ¼ inch) to secure the backing to the frame. You do this by placing the brad nails on the board and pushing them into the molding on the back of the wood picture frame. Once the brad nails are securely holding the frame backing you’re all ready to hang your oval picture frame.

As you can see, preparing and assembling an oval picture frame does take a little time but can be a simple process if you follow these basic steps. Once your oval picture frame is beautifully hanging on the wall, you’ll feel proud knowing that you did it all by yourself.

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