Gallery wall, the name conjures up images of a fancy art gallery filled with wonderful paintings of famous artists…….As beautiful as that image is it is intimaditing too. How on earth are you supposed to hang all those frames together and make sense of it all? Would I end up making my walls a sieve trying to figure out where each picture would go? My thoughts exactly before I discovered the “Gallery wall for dummies” idea! I first used it when I created the gallery wall in our home office and then the plate wall in the breakfast nook. Still every time I use the method I feel like it is a genius idea (which it is!) and deserves its own tutorial all over again. So here it is……the sure fire way to a gallery wall.
The Basics
- Use both pictures and other decor items of personal meaning to make your galley wall more interesting (e.g. the mirror and the Beyoutiful art)
- Collecting items over time is usually cheaper than buying everything at one go
- Thrift stores and yard sales are a great source for cheap frames and art. Every frame you see here is from a Goodwill/Salvation Army/Vintage store or a Craigslist.
- DIY art is another great way to save some bucks. Think, the watercolor paintings of personal photos and the Beyoutiful art
Materials
- Frames to hang
- A roll of large gift wrap
- Pencil
- Tape Measure
- Painter’s Tape
Method
- On the floor arrange the frames so you can figure out what pattern you like the best.
- Once you zero in on the arrangement that you like take a picture of it with your phone or camera. Trust me this extra step will go a long way in helping you remember which frame goes where.
- Now remove the frames and spread the gift wrap on the floor.
- Place the frames back on the floor over the gift wrap. Feel free to refer back to the picture you took earlier of the arrangement. I ran out of gift wrap and ended up using pieces of what was left. Ideally you want the entire space to be covered but as long as you have enough paper to mark where you need to hang the frames you are ok.
- When you are done aligning the frames patiently trace the outline of each frame onto the gift wrap. While you are at it mark the center of each of the top edges. If you are using a lot of frames that are the same size you could number the frames and write down the number on the template too.
- For each frame measure the distance from the top center to the where the nail should go. Mark the distance on your outline too.
- With painter’s tape, tape the gift wrap on the wall.
- Drill nails into the markings and tear away the paper.
- Now you are all set to hang your gallery wall items!
Notice how the pics of the frames on the floor show the Polka dot and watercolor frames in their original state?
Have you hung a gallery wall? What’s your secret tip?
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