From the simple to the complex, stacking frames allows you to create exactly what you want!!!

   Make sure to go to the bottom of the article for more advanced forms of stacking frames together.


The usual way of stacking frame together is with the inside one fitting under the lip of the outer frame.

In this case the customer wanted the opposite effect.  Their desire was to create an effect that the inside frame was raised and the outside frame actually frames it.

Our customer also wanted to lift the inner frame up to add extra dimension to the inside frame.

So we had to come up with an additional frame to go inside the two frames for the purpose of holding it all together and creating that extra dimension (or lift) that this customer wanted in the inside frame.

We will call the inside frame that is just a 1/2" x 3/4" raw wood frame = the lift frame (left).
The outside frame is in the center of this photo and the inside frame in on the right in the photo.

The lift frame is cut to fit inside of the
outer frame.  This creates a way to attach the inner frame to it and creates a shelf for the inside frame to sit on allowing the inside frame to be lifted to the desired level.


The difficulty with this type of frame placement is that when you cut the outside frame it has to be exactly right in order to have it look like it is all one frame.  There cannot be any play in the size.   If over cut even one 32nd it will show when placing the two frames together and if under cut by that much it will cause the inside frame not to fit into the outside frame.

Voila and completed!!

Just what the customer asked for.



Here are a few other unique ways to stack frames.

 In this design we actually stacked a total of six frames together to get the effect we wanted.  Starting from inside out.
1.  gold fillet
2.  gold frame
3.  frame hand covered with fabric
4.  black shadow box frame
5.  gold fillet
6.  another frame for extra dimension.

Another seven frame stack:
from inside out

1.  small black fillet
2.  fabric covered liner
3.  fabric covered frame
4.  fabric covered liner
5.  silver fillet
6.  outside frame
7.  frame cut on side to add depth
(museum glass in under the silver fillet)

In this design we put a fabric wall in between the
stars and stripes frame, and the outside frame.