#I was planning to close this with magnetic cabinet latches but they were WEAK

[hellenhighwater]

If anyone is wanting to make themselves one of these, this is actually a REALLY EASY project, especially if you have a second person to help you. You need a drill and a saw; a handsaw will work but a power saw will make your life easier.

In terms of materials: You need a framed piece of art or a photo; ideally the frame should be wood or resin. Plastic or metal would be difficult. You need a piano hinge; whatever length is closest to the height of your painting. You need some wood screws, 1.5-2 inches long, and you need enough 1x4 board to go around the perimeter of the painting and then do a couple shelves in the middle. I used a hook and eye set to keep this closed. A speed square (to make sure your corners are correct) will also help.

All you're making is a box that's the same size or slightly smaller than the frame--this frame is 28 inches wide and 38 inches tall, so the box I made is 27x37. The shelves are just placed wherever I wanted them inside, and everything is just side-screwed in with woodscrews. I did pre-drill all the places I put screws, because cheap wood is prone to splitting. The I painted it, attached the piano hinge, and put the hook and eye in a spot that seemed easy to reach. I drilled holes (using a spade bit) so that I could get cords in and out. I mounted it to the wall using a french cleat, because I had wood left and I don't have good stud placements on this wall, and french cleats are good for distributing weight.

But really--the only skills you need for this are measuring, cutting boards, and putting screws in. Pretty doable!

This is a test to see if Tumblr is letting me post