DIY Smallwoods Knock-Off: A Cheap DIY

How to make your own DIY Smallwoods large prints.

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One company has aggressively advertised on my Facebook lately and it has caught my eye.

Smallwoods, the company that makes beautiful, giant photo prints for your home, has me swooning. I love all their gallery walls and giant prints. I wanted some for myself, but after seeing the price tag, I knew it just wasn’t meant to be.

That was until I found a way to do it myself! And for way cheaper than the real thing too!

Here’s how I made a DIY Smallwoods knock-off!

DIY Smallwoods Knock-Off Supplies

your favorite picture(s) – turned into posters
(2-3) 1x2x8 boards
table saw
orbital sander
120- to 220-grit sanding pads
wood stain
rags
brad nailer & nails
1/4″ plywood
mod podge & sponge brush
staple gun & staples
picture hangers

If you can’t build your own frame, you can find one on Amazon! There are so many different kinds, including the simple the simple rustic look that I was going for.

You can find them in gold or black. Or you can buy frames that are already matted or these minimalist poster hangers.

MCS Gallery Foundation Poster Frame, Picture Frame For Wall Art, Brass, 20 x 30 Inch, Single Americanflat 20×30 Poster Frame in Black with Polished Plexiglass – Horizontal and Vertical Formats, Included Hanging Hardware MCS Museum Poster Frame, Barnwood, 20 x 30 in, Single FALAMON Magnetic Poster Hanger Frame, 20×20 20×24 20×28 20×30 Teak Wood Magnet Poster Frame for Posters, Prints, Photos, Pictures, Maps, Scrolls, and Canvas Artwork ELSKER&HOME 24×36 Poster Frame with Mat 2 Pack, Black Picture Frame Display Photos 20×30 with Mat or 24×36 without Mat

Step 1: Choose a Picture

If you’re anything like me, then this is probably the most difficult step of the whole process.

I have so many pictures of my girls, that it’s hard to choose just one (or three!) to use for this project.

When choosing a picture for your DIY Smallwoods knock-off, make sure you choose something with good resolution. A picture with good lighting and crisp lines is ideal.

The beach pictures that I printed were taken with my iPhone. The one of the girls walking away looks great, but the one of them facing the camera is a little blurry/pixelated.

One of the prints I chose for our Smallwoods DIY. — *(I bought these dresses and took these pictures specifically for this project!)*

One of the prints I chose for our Smallwoods Knock-Off Project. — *(I bought these dresses and took these pictures specifically for this project!)*

Step 2: Order the Print

The next step is to order your picture. And this is where you save your money!

I ordered my prints from Walgreens. Go to their Photo section and click on Posters. There are several options, but I used the plain Poster option (no designs, text, or adhesive).

There are 5 sizes to choose from. I used the second largest option (20″x 30″) for all 3 of my prints. These are normally $25.99 plus tax, however, I found coupon codes that made them 50% off. (At times, you can even find codes for 60% off!)

That means I got both beach prints for $25! Even on sale, ONE print from Smallwoods cost $50+.

When you’re ordering your posters, Walgreens’ website may alert you that your image has low resolution. It gave me this alert on all 3 prints, even the two prints that turned out good.

The cheap poster print we ordered for our DIY Smallwoods Knock-Off. — *(This is what the prints looked like when I picked them up from Walgreens.)*

Step 3: Build & Stain the Frame

The next step to your DIY Smallwoods knock-off is building your frame.

For our frames, we used a piece of ‘scrap’ cedar that my husband had out in the garage. But you could easily use a 1x2x8 pine board from Lowes.

The scrap wood we used for our DIY Smallwoods Knock-Off. — *(This is a piece of the scrap wood we started off with.*)

For two 20×30 pictures, you will need 2 boards. For two large pictures (24×36), you will need 3 boards.

First, rip your wood into 1-inch strips using a table saw.

Then cut your boards to length. We cut the boards to one inch larger than the photo prints, ending up with 4 pieces at 21 inches and 4 pieces at 31 inches.

After ripping the boards into 1-inch strips for the picture frame.

After cutting the boards to length, we cut the ends of each board at a 45-degree angle.

After making the angled cuts for the Smallwoods Knock-Off picture frame. — *(I’m always so proud after making an angled cut.)*

After making your cuts, sand each piece with an orbital sander. I used 220-grit sanding pad.

Then, clean and stain the pieces in the color of your choice. We used Minwax Wood Finish in Provincial.

Staining the picture frame. — *(I apply stain using a rag, but you could also use a brush.)*

Finally, use a finish nailer to put the frames together.

Nailing the frame together. — *(My husband so lovingly puts up with all of my projects & even models for me, when I ask!)*

After the frame has been nailed together. — *(My husband so lovingly puts up with all of my projects & even models for me, when I ask!)*

Step 4: Prepare & Attach the Picture

Once your frames are built, it’s time to prepare your pictures.

First, we had to cut a backing for the frame. We used a 1/4″ piece of scrap plywood cut to the size of the print (20×30″).

You can use thinner Lauan plywood underlayment that comes in 2×4 sheets. Not only would it make the frame lighter, but it would also be easier to manage when cutting.

The backs of the DIY Smallwoods Knock-Off prints. — *(The back of the picture frames.)*

Mod Podge the picture to the plywood. Simply use a sponge brush to spread the Mod Podge onto the back of the picture, then flip it right side up and smooth it down onto the plywood backing.