One of the lesser-known framing techniques that date back to the earliest days of the Craft is commonly known as “Stacking”.
Simply put, Stacking is the combining of two or more individual mouldings to create one larger and often more impressive moulding.
Using the above photo as a reference, a quick glance shows two very similar ornate gold frames. But closer scrutiny shows how one is a solid piece of wood that is shaped to form the design and intricate pattern of the moulding, while the other is actually three mouldings combined to give the appearance of one moulding.
Historically, stacking was necessary to create frames that would have the scale and ornamentation necessary to properly embellish larger, often mural-like paintings.
Today, with the availability of powerful computerized wood-shaping equipment, and the ability to create more durable and elaborate ornamentation with polymers, the task of creating these massive mouldings from a solid piece of wood has been simplified.
But that’s not the only reason to stack mouldings. There are times when you wish “that black moulding had a red accent on it” or “that gold moulding had some beading on it”. Stacking gives you the opportunity to use your “inner designer” to get the look you want for that special project.
It’s fun and guarantees that you’ll have a one-of-a-kind item!