i always admired other peoples’ gallery walls but never thought i could accomplish one on my own. i have this fear of hanging pictures, like that hole in the wall is so permanent and what if i get it wrong? and with a gallery wall, what if i get it wrong 10 times? so i used to quit the idea of before i even started.

but here’s the thing. our first floor is what you would call open concept. it’s great for lots of things. but the downfall? not much wall space for pictures. most of the walls in our downstairs are occupied by necessary things, like windows and cabinets. we have lots of natural light and lots of storage, but not a lot of space for displaying family pictures or fun decor.

there are really only two open walls in our downstairs. one is in the dining room and one is going up the stairs. there is also the wall above the tv but that wall perplexes me in regards to design. so i leave it and tell myself one day we will get a fancier entertainment system with shelves and mount our tv. determined to do something fun to display family pictures in the other two spaces, i set out to learn how to create a gallery wall.

first, i called my friend steph for advice. she has a gallery wall that i’ve always admired and is just a natural at all things decor. she gave me two tips ::

{1} keep your frame colors consistent

{2} keep your spacing consistent

i thought about looking into pinterest but stephanie’s advice seemed easy enough to follow without confusing myself.

i decided to tackle the big tall wall going up our stairs first. it looked especially blank and needed something bold. as usual, in addition to trying to follow steph’s tips, my goal was to make this project quick and inexpensive.

i have to say, i am not a huge goodwill shopper. i don’t know why. i love a good bargain, i just don’t shop there. but i decided to check them out for frames. not surprisingly, the prices could not be beat. the problem? the frames there were pretty ugly. think frames from your grandma’s basement. brown. boring. super dated. i was tempted to just spend more at hobby lobby. but decided to first decide on a color scheme for my wall. then i’d see about buying some goodwill frames and sprucing them up with some paint.

gallery wall step 1

decide on a color scheme and collect your frames. we were still getting settled in our house so i really hadn’t yet decided on a firm color scheme. but i liked the aqua-ish walls the former owner had painted in the living and dining room, so i decided to play on that. i also love white, and gray. heeding stephanie’s advice, i decided on that simple color palate – aqua/teal, gray, and white.

please excuse the mess. this is before my desk and kitchen chair makeovers. they look so much better now! but you can see these frames o bought at goodwill were not fancy. what i liked about them were the varying sizes. there’s also a good chance you have frames in your house you can use for your wall. they might not be the right color but a LITTLE spray or acrylic paint can change that quickly. i bought six frames at goodwill for about $11 and splurged on two at hobby lobby. i also bought one on clearance at homegoods.

gallery wall step 2

map out your wall space. i know. this pic is kind of blurry. but it shows the whole area. and can you see my LITTLE helper up there? can’t leave her out! i used painters tape and a level to outline my space. i also divided it into sections to help me with the spacing as i started to hang.

there is no perfect size for a gallery wall. it just depends on your space. when it comes to hanging pictures, i think typically our tendency is to hang them too high. i go to a lot of houses with high-hanging pictures. i’ve heard it said that the middle of your picture should be eye level. i usually try to keep both mine and my husband’s height in mind when following this rule, and split the difference. i treated my whole gallery space as one big picture, with the middle at eye level.

for this gallery wall, i knew i wanted to stick to a hard rectangle edge for my gallery. you might want your edges to be less exact. in that case, you will want to work around a midline. basically, this means placing a piece tape, either vertically or horizontally, right in the middle of your gallery space, rather than outlining your edges. usually this midline is where your gaze falls when looking at the wall. then you work up and down {horizontally} or left and right {vertically} from your line.

looking today, i found this great image at simplified bee on creating a gallery wall from a midline. it is a part of a whole book on home decor cheat sheets found here on amazon.

gallery wall step 3

make your frames pretty. it was clearly easter time when i tackled this project. i decided to paint the frames before i arranged them {step 5}. you might decide to arrange first and paint second {switching step 4 and 5}. of course, if you’re not up for the diy, you can also buy frames in your desired colors.

my painting supplies included:

• gray and teal acrylic paint {you can find acrylic paint in a small bottle at any craft store for about $1}
• scrapbook paper {in various sizes and designs at any craft store}
• modpodge {a glue product, in a yellow, white and orange bottle. you can also buy this at any craft store or here on amazon}
• sponge brushes {on sale at any craft store or here on amazon}
• white spray paint

i painted some frames aqua/teal, some gray, and some white. i tried to balance colors between big and small frames. some needed two coats, depending on what was on the frame when i bought it.

other frames i covered using scrapbook paper for some added interest. to do this, you need a flat frame. take the glass out of the frame. turn your scrapbook paper upside down and lay the frame facedown on the paper. trace around the outside and inside of the frame. cut along your lines and flip things over the right way. using a sponge brush, spread modpodge over the entire frame, then place your paper on top. use something like a credit card to smooth out any bubbles. after it’s dry, use your sponge brush again to spread modpodge over the top of the paper. i know it sounds weird. but it will dry clear with a slight shine and really seal the paper to the frame.

gallery wall step 4

map out your staging area and arrange your frames. this was the hardest part for me. for this step, you need an area that is the same size as your gallery space. i can’t finish a project in a day. because kids. so i also needed a space that might go undisturbed. in my house, such a space is virtually nonexistent. i settled on our guest room bed. let me tell you, that had its downfalls. but it was the best i could come up with. and check out that yellow wall! yikes. i am happy to say it is now gray.

whatever area you deem your staging area, map out a space that is exactly the same size as your gallery space, as seen by the taped outline on the bed above.

i started with my largest picture in the middle. now, my sister says there shouldn’t be a picture right in the middle. after looking at this, i kind of agree. it’s all a learning experience. after my middle picture, i worked my way from the edges in. you can see in the pictures above, i tried out different arrangements.

gallery wall step 5

 

transfer your pictures to your wall. the easiest way to do this is with command strips. you can buy these at any superstore, hardware store, or amazon. basically, they are like hanging pictures with velcro. i love them because if your picture is not perfectly straight, you just unvelcro and adjust. they come in varying weight classes, the highest being 16 pounds. i used 12 pound strips for this whole wall. not a single nail hole.

if a nail hole is unavoidable, i found this life saving picture hanging tool at our local hardware store. i’ve also seen it at target and on amazon. if i could be the spokesperson for this product, i would. there are directions on the packaging but basically, this $15 tool takes all the guesswork out of hanging things straight. it is really great for hanging pictures with a wire but works in almost all picture hanging situations. it saved my life when i did my husband’s office gallery wall {read that post here}.

gallery wall step 6

stand back and admire your work. it took me a couple weeks to fill that space with the circular picture at the top. i knew i wanted a circle for some variety but had to find one that was the right size. so i had to be patient. i’ve learned i make far less mistakes when i am patient and work slowly.

i have to say, this wall makes me happy every time i walk up and down the stairs. most everyone who visits comments on it, which is why i decided to write this post. it honestly was not hard. i just had to decide on my color scheme, collect my frames, map out my area, stage, and place.

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