We’re in the process of renovating our house room-by-room, but I couldn’t wait until the rooms were done to get some pieces art and photos up on our blank walls. I had already picked out the perfect spot at the top of our stairs to place a gallery wall where we could keep all our favorite family photos all in one place.
Although putting 38 frames up on a wall at once seems a bit daunting, it really wasn’t all that difficult. And the result was stunning – a wall that really makes me smile every time I walk up the stairs.
First, decide on a style for your gallery wall. Do you want the frames to be hung in straight lines? Or just placed randomly? Since hanging a bunch of different frames can look a bit chaotic, you’ll want to have one similar characteristic between all the frames to create a more cohesive look. This can be as simple as having the frames all be the same color or size, or even just making all the photos in black and white. Once you’ve determined the style of your gallery, gather all the frames you want to include and trace their outlines onto pieces of paper or newspaper to create templates.
Then using painters tape or scotch tape (make sure the tape doesn’t peel paint off the walls), tape up your templates where you’d like the frames to be. Tweak the layout, look at the wall from different angles, spend time thinking about the arrangement. You’ll most likely move these around several times until you settle on the best arrangement. Luckily, paper templates are easy to move around!
Then it’s finally time to hang up your gallery wall. Make an ‘x’ on the paper where you’ll need to put a nail or picture hanger for the particular frame you’re hanging. Hammer the nail right on the ‘x’, then carefully peel away the paper. Voila! Perfectly placed frames.
Fill up your frames with pictures, artwork and mementos to complete your gallery wall. An easy way to personalize a large wall with a chic look!
And the best part is that as your family grows or taste in art changes, you can swap out the existing images in the frames for new ones — an easy decor update without using a hammer!
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