Remember when music came on giant 12-inch discs and the album art was a masterpiece in itself? Vinyl is back in a big way, and those records deserve more than a generic square frame.
In a recent feature, master framer Thomas Houston shared a “rock star” design for a signed Todd Rundgren album that totally reinvents how we display vinyl. Here is how to take your record framing from “storage” to “showstopper.”
The Vision: Floating & Fabulous
The goal of this design was simple but ambitious: show every square millimeter of the album cover and the vinyl disc without any ugly clips or visual obstructions.
The design features:
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Custom Shapes: A mat window that hugs the square cover and curves around the record.
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Serious Depth: A deep bevel mat (3/16” thick) to add elegance and dimension.
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The “Magic” Float: No visible attachments. The record appears to hover in the frame.
The Secret Sauce: Magnets & Cradles
How do you hold a heavy album in place without glue or clips? Science!
- Mounting the Cover (The Magnet Trick)
Instead of adhesives, this design uses neodymium magnets.
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Three super-strong magnets are sunk into the backing board.
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A piece of sheet steel is slipped inside the album jacket.
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The Result: The magnets pull through the cardboard cover to grip the steel, holding the album firmly in place while remaining totally reversible.
- Mounting the Vinyl
To hold the record, you can use a brass offset screw through the center spindle hole. However, for an even safer approach, you can create a hidden matboard cradle behind the cover that cups the bottom of the record, holding it securely without touching the spindle at all.
Adding the “Bling”
This isn’t just a frame; it’s a tribute. The design details make it sing:
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Gilded Edges: The deep foamcore bevels were painted red and hand-gilded with gold metal leaf to mimic an antique look.
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Ruby Red Silk: The mats were wrapped in textured silk for a luxurious finish.
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Stacked Frames: Two moulding profiles were combined to create a custom look with enough depth to house the record safely.
Why We Love It
The best part of this method? Reversibility. Because no permanent glues are used, you can easily remove the record to play it or swap it out for a different album entirely.
Do you have a signed album or a teenage favorite gathering dust? Let’s get it on the wall!
