Synopsis: This freestanding frame allows the display of two pieces of art simultaneously on a tabletop, desk, or other flat space. It is designed to be easily disassembled to change artwork. The sleek design and basic joinery in this frame make it a great one-day project. It has a wide base, a narrower top, and through-tenons on the uprights. Grooves, bevels, and mortises are the basic construction method. Tenons, wedges, and pegs keep the frame together. Once you’ve made one of these frames, you’ll want a whole set in different sizes. Luckily, that will be easy to accomplish.

I have a black-and-white woodcut print and a piece of needlepoint that are dear to me. Since wall space is limited in my house, I decided to make a free-standing frame to display them. Both pieces of art fit in the same frame, one on each side facing out, and the frame can be placed on a tabletop, shelf, desk, dresser, anywhere you have free, flat space—at home or in the office. The frame also makes a great gift.

Because both sides are visible, I knew this frame would be a bit trickier to design than a typical, wall-hung picture frame. I also needed a way to take apart the frame, should the artwork ever need to be replaced.

The frame required a relatively wide base to stand on. Playing around with several designs, I settled on a wide base, a narrower top, and through-tenons on the uprights to allow for disassembly. Although the frame dimensions will vary depending on what it is to hold, the building process can be adapted to any size.

Cut the joints

Once you’ve measured both pieces of art, added a proportional border/ mat, and come up with an overall dimension, you can rough…