Start With the Canvas You Actually Have
A No Frame kit from our paint by numbers collection arrives as a 40 × 50 cm canvas without a rigid backing — folded or rolled, with the numbered linework printed on it. After the last region is painted, that canvas is still flexible, and flexible art cannot hang flat on a wall by itself. Framing is the step that turns a finished painting into a finished object, and there are three realistic routes to get there.
One check before anything else: let the paint cure fully — acrylics are dry to the touch in hours but reach full hardness over days. And if the canvas arrived rolled or picked up a crease, flatten it before framing. The exact flattening routine is in our canvas preparation guide, and the same method works after painting as before.
Route 1: Stretch It Yourself
Stretcher bars are the classic solution — four wooden bars that slot together at the corners and grip the canvas under tension. The process in outline:
- Assemble the frame to exactly the canvas size, checking the corners are square.
- Center the canvas face down on a clean table with the frame on top.
- Staple the middles first — one staple in the center of each edge, then work outward toward the corners, pulling tension evenly.
- Fold the corners like wrapping a parcel, keeping the folds on the back.
Done well, the canvas drums tight and the painting reads as gallery-stretched art, frame or no frame. Done badly, the tension is uneven and the surface waves. If you own a staple gun and an afternoon, it is a satisfying project; if not, Route 2 exists for a reason.
Route 2: Hand It to a Local Framer
A picture framer stretches canvases every working day, and 40 × 50 cm is a standard, unremarkable size to them. Two things make the visit cheaper and faster: bring the canvas flat rather than tightly rolled, and say plainly what you want — "stretch this canvas, then a frame." Stretching alone is the smaller job; a frame choice can be as simple or as elaborate as your budget wants.
Mention the medium (acrylic on canvas) and that the surface should not be pressed against glass directly. Most framers will suggest a float frame or a frame with spacing — both keep the painted surface visible and untouched, which is what a numbered canvas wants.
Route 3: Order the Framed Kit Next Time
The planning-ahead route: the Framed option on every kit is $49.90 instead of $29.90, and it arrives pre-mounted on a wooden frame — stretched, level, and ready to hang the day the last region dries. No stretching step, no framer visit, no stapled thumbs. The full comparison of what changes between the two formats — setup, storage, gifting — is in framed vs. no frame, including the wrinkle-free framing FAQ.
Frame Styles That Suit a Numbered Canvas
Three styles cover almost every case:
- Frameless (stretched only). The wrapped edge becomes part of the look. Suits modern rooms and poster-style art — a travel poster painting hung frameless at eye level reads exactly like the mid-century posters it imitates.
- Float frame. A thin frame with a small gap around the canvas edge, so the painted surface appears to float. The default choice for gallery-style hanging.
- Traditional frame with depth. Deeper moulding that covers the canvas edge entirely. Suits ornate or classic interiors, and heavier scenes like the landscapes guide covers.
Whatever the style, match the frame depth to the canvas depth — a stretched 40 × 50 cm canvas is roughly a centimeter and a half thick, and a frame cut for flat paper will not close around it.
Hanging It Where It Survives
Acrylic holds its color well, but the same UV that fades posters works on paintings over years. Hang the finished piece on a wall that avoids direct afternoon sun, and you postpone fading by decades. For gifting, the framed format is also the safer logistics — a pre-mounted canvas survives wrapping and unwrapping far better than a loose one, which is why our gift guide defaults to Framed for anything that has to survive a holiday.