How to Create a Gallery Wall
I had been wanting a gallery wall in our apartment since...oh, forever.
When we finally purchased a place of our very own, I realized that this was my chance. I am semi-obsessed with taking photos and I hate that nowadays, most photos don't even get printed, but filed away into virtual folders. I love to see the photos I've taken, whether travel photos, family photos or throwbacks. So a gallery wall was the perfect solution to our {very} empty and unpainted entry way.
I found this process to be daunting at first, and then realized it was very simple and dare I say it, fun. I did the wall in 2 parts since after living with the first half for a few months, I realized that I wanted to extend it even further. I did this in 2 different ways, so you can simply choose whichever one works for you.
First thing's first, map out the space you want to use with painter's tape. I used measuring tape to make it all even.
I then laid out a sheet on the floor, folded to the size of the mapped out framing area.
On the sheet, I put together my frame layout. I found this to be the easiest way to move things around until I found the design that felt right (and fit in all of my frames). This also avoided hacking up my wall while moving things around. Then, I snapped a photo of the layout so I could reference it while I was hanging the actual frames. Lastly, I just filled in the wall, hanging one at a time. I used picture hangers which hold way more than enough weight to sustain my meager Ikea frames. My favorite part about this method is that since it's a gallery, nothing needs to be perfect. I did not space anything perfectly, I wanted it rustic!
Once I worked up the strength to finish the wall (months later mind you), I used a slightly different and even less precise approach. I also moved some things around!
To finish the wall, I took stock of my remaining frames and photos. I outlined each one with wrapping paper and hung the wrapping paper with painters tape to show how the frames would look on the wall. Then, I hammered a tiny hole into the center of the painters tape, removed the paper, finished hammering and hung the photos. Easy peasy.
Here are some close ups for your viewing pleasure! Red is kind of a theme in our home right now,
but what I love about the gallery wall is that I can always change out the frames once we paint (to all white, perhaps?) and even the photos as we make more and more memories!
Starting from the bottom left side of the wall, I included a photo of a Divi tree, which was also the favor at our wedding; our wedding program; a photo of my bridesmaids and me at my wedding; Shaun and I in front of the Montana River; my family at our wedding; a throwback photo of my sisters and me.
Next up: A view of the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower; Shaun and I at our Senior Prom; throwback of Shaun and his brother; Shaun and me sipping lattes in Prague; Shaun's fam at our wedding; my parents at our wedding; his parents at our wedding.
Cartoon mouse & cat kissing; sisters & me at Penn State; Shaun & me at Yanks v. Mets game; Eiffel Tower; our dads at our rehearsal dinner; ampersand, painted by yours truly; my family's dog {and my baby} Chloe; Shaun & me in a photo booth, circa 2004; Keep Calm & Read Blogs, designed by yours truly; pencil drawing we purchased in Tallinn, Estonia
Central Park print, gifted to us from my sisters
Our wedding party; heart print I copied and doctored (I plan to buy the original at some point!); A view of the mountains in the Grand Tetons; throwback photo of my dad and me; a bison; Mom and me; Shaun with his mom and brother
So there you have it. Honestly, this was such an easy project and was totally worth the work. I love stopping in to look at it each day as I leave the house and come home. It just makes me happy. And I love that we can change out photos whenever we'd like!
So what do you think? Are you a "photo" person? Do you own any cool prints? I'm always on the hunt for new ones!
13 Comments | May 10, 2011 | Share Article | Email Article | tagged DIY, photo hanging | in Home Projects Print Article | Permalink
Reader Comments (13)
I should show you my dorm. I have pictures everywhere. But if you're ever in the market for interesting prints deviantart.com has some by all different artists. Lots of different styles too!
You did such a great job, what a great way to put up those pictures! I also like to have real photos and albums. There is something about flipping through pages of memories.
Your wall looks great :) I would love to do this someday (not now because I haven't really "settled" anywhere yet). Such an awesome idea!
I love it! I am actually going to save this post! someady ill have a place where I can do this! :)
Great tutorial! Thanks for posting Rachel! I'm definitely going to make this my summer project! I definitely have a lot of pictures and love taking "artsy" ones as well. They're all on my digital card though... I can never bring myself to get them printed!
WHAT A GREAT way to do that! I have gottogottogotto GOT to do this.
Your gallery wall looks great! What a fun project. My BF and I have several photos that we have taken on our walls, but they are all of nature-y stuff (sunsets, flowers, etc). They are nice reminders of vacations we've taken or the time we spent an hour trying to take a decent picture of the moon (we finally succeeded!).
That looks so great! I love it!
beautiful!!!! i've been wanting to make one of these for a while now
I really really reallyyyy want to do this but didn't think I had the time or guts to go through with it. You made it look so simple though! I think I will do it this weekend now :) Thanks!
Good luck Lauren!
I have been planning this for a while in a hallway in our house and I too have been daunted to start. Thanks for helpful tips!!!
Creating a gallery wall is a brilliant way to transform a space into a personalized art haven. By carefully curating and arranging a diverse collection of art pieces, photographs, or prints, one can infuse personality and style into a room. The key lies in thoughtful arrangement—playing with sizes, shapes, and colors to achieve visual balance and harmony. It's an opportunity to showcase one's taste and creativity, letting the wall tell a unique story. Whether it's a collection of family memories, a showcase of vibrant paintings, or a mix of both, a gallery wall is a statement of aesthetic expression.