DIY Bike Art Frames: Inexpensive, Easy, and Stylish

This is it — my favorite art project to date. I know that’s a bold claim, but it’s earned: I framed and hung my bike posters and I’m genuinely thrilled with the result. Not only is the finished look great, but the whole thing was simple and inexpensive to pull off. If I sound a little overexcited, forgive me — I love bikes and I love easy DIY wins.

Here’s what the wall looked like before, with my retail display cast-offs taped up and looking pretty sad.

And here they are after being framed — the transformation is night and day. I spent about $14 on the wood for the two frames (roughly $7 per frame). The hardest part was letting the stain dry between coats. Otherwise, these frames were straightforward and quick to assemble.

Materials and Preparation

All I bought were four 6-foot lengths of 1×2″ pine from the home improvement store. Because I was building two frames, I needed four long side pieces and four shorter top/bottom pieces. To get even cuts for each set, I clamped four boards together and cut them at once. If you don’t have a saw, the store can usually cut boards to size for you.

After two clamped cuts I had four long boards and four short boards. I made each short board one inch wider than the poster so the poster would overlap the front edge slightly (for example, a 27″ wide poster used 28″ top and bottom boards). The side boards were measured to account for that extra inch plus the width of the top and bottom boards so the total height lined up correctly.

Building the Frames

I kept the design simple and raw — no mitered corners — which meant the assembly required only basic tools. I clamped the pieces together, drilled small pilot holes to prevent splitting, and then screwed the top and bottom boards into the sides. The pilot holes really help when driving screws into pine.

After assembly, the frames looked solid and intentionally imperfect — I didn’t bother to fill the screw heads because they sit where most viewers won’t notice once the frames are hung. That slightly rugged look complements the subject matter: bike gears and parts aren’t polished, either.

Staining, Finishing, and Attaching the Posters

I considered leaving the wood raw, as we’d first seen similar displays, but decided a darker stain would better tie into other wood elements in the room. I used a dark walnut stain and, after it dried, applied a coat of polyurethane for protection. Once everything was dry, I laid each poster face down on its frame.

The extra inch on the top and bottom meant the poster sat fully on the frame without the paper showing on the front edges. My posters were printed on thick, sturdy paper so I stapled them to the back of the frame in several spots (about four staples per side worked well). If your poster paper is thinner, consider mounting it to a backing board with a non-wrinkling adhesive like spray adhesive or rubber cement before stapling.

After stapling, I screwed simple hanging hardware through the poster and into the wood so nothing would be visible from the front. Then the frames were ready to hang.

Final Look and Notes

Seeing them on the wall was a small moment of triumph. The thick wooden frames lift the posters slightly off the wall, giving them depth and a museum-like presence. Because the posters are fairly rigid, we opted not to use glass or plexiglass — the artwork feels bold and unencumbered this way. If you prefer protection later, you can always add glazing, but for now the unobstructed look suits the space.

I’m thrilled with how they turned out. The posters themselves — a deconstructed bike image from Public Bikes — are the star, but the handmade frames provide a supporting role that feels intentional and well-matched.

The final setup adds dimension to the room and a strong visual anchor. We plan to add a low, chunky storage piece beneath the art to balance the scale — once that’s in place the whole vignette will feel even more finished.

And yes, I may have paused for a moment of silly affection for my handiwork. They’re visible from the kitchen window, so I’ll probably catch myself admiring them while doing dishes. That’s fine by me.

That’s the latest from the sunroom. I’ll share the storage piece we pick out for beneath the bike art once it’s in place. If you’re looking for a low-cost, high-impact way to display posters or art, building simple wooden frames like these is an easy and rewarding option.

Update: We created a “Shop Our House” page to list furniture and accessories from our home along with paint colors for anyone interested in sourcing similar pieces.