Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn picture framing
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Framing is part woodwork, part design and part arithmetic, and a beginners' course takes you from cutting a mitre to hanging a finished piece. It is useful straight away for your own pictures, photographs and keepsakes, and the workshop tools are usually provided.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What a course covers
Beginners' courses cover the whole job. City Lit teaches measuring and cutting frames, gluing and joining them, cutting acrylic glazing and mount-board, and different ways of mounting artwork. Hammersmith and Fulham's longer course adds workshop safety, acid-free products, cutting glass safely, sealing the back, wood finishing and how to cost a frame.
Courses differ on materials. City Lit includes basic moulding, acrylic glass and mount-board and limits work to A3; at Hammersmith and Fulham you buy your own glass, moulding and mount card, while the centre provides the tools. Atlanta's Chastain Arts Center says students can expect to frame four to eight pieces over its course.
Ways in and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Four full days or five to six evenings; basic materials included; work up to A3 | £379 daytime, £299 evening (lower concession rates listed) |
| Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Learning, London | 11 weekly evening sessions; you buy your own glass, moulding and mount card | £273.47 standard, £121.38 concession, £510.12 full |
| Chastain Arts Center, Atlanta (city parks department) | 10 weekly morning sessions in a framemaking studio | $305 |
| The Art League School, Alexandria, Virginia | Workshop on mats, mounting and assembling a pre-cut frame; you take home a framed piece | Tuition not listed; $25 materials fee to the instructor |
If you later want to frame for a living, the US Professional Picture Framers Association runs the Certified Picture Framer exam, but it asks for at least a year of hands-on framing experience first.
How to start
- Find a beginners' framing course at an adult-education college or an arts centre with a framing workshop.
- Check whether moulding, glazing and mount-board are in the fee or bought separately, and what size of work you can frame.
- Choose two or three pieces you would like framed and take them, or their measurements, to the first session.
Where to go
- City Lit: Picture framing and mounting for beginners (London) UK
- Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Learning: Picture Framing and Mount Cutting (London) UK
- Chastain Arts Center, Atlanta: Beginning Framing US
- The Art League School, Virginia: Basic Matting and Framing US
We opened these links on 9 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need experience to do a picture framing course?
No. City Lit's course suits complete beginners, though it asks that you can do simple measurements and calculations, and Hammersmith and Fulham requires no previous experience.
Are materials included in a picture framing course?
It varies. City Lit includes basic moulding, acrylic glass and mount-board; Hammersmith and Fulham asks students to buy their own glass, moulding and mount card.
How long does it take to learn picture framing?
Beginners' courses run from a single workshop to 11 weekly sessions. City Lit's daytime course is about 24 hours of teaching over four weeks.
Is there a qualification for picture framers?
In the US, the Professional Picture Framers Association runs the Certified Picture Framer exam, a 3.5-hour written test for framers with at least a year of hands-on experience.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Picture framing and mounting for beginners; Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Learning and Skills Service, Picture Framing and Mount Cutting; City of Atlanta Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Beginning Framing (via ACTIVE); The Art League School, Basic Matting and Framing; Professional Picture Framers Association, Certification. Opened 9 November 2026.
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