Photo Gallery Wall – Guest Post

I have a guest post today for you that focuses on the essentials of creating a gallery wall.   Sometimes mix and matching frames can be daunting and challenging.   Cheri shows you can mix and match frames and found objects to create a gallery wall you can be proud of.

I’m Cheri from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar.   I love to blog about sewing, photography, home decor, painting, and whatever else I can think up.   I have two little guys and I love crafting for boys.   Today I’m going to show you my newly completed photo gallery. Gallery walls are huge right now – just page through a Pottery Barn magazine.   I’ve been working on mine for a while and I have some ideas and tips I want to share with you.   Here’s my wall:

A gallery wall is a nice way to make use of a blank wall and a great way to display who you are.   I love decorating with personal meaning.   Here are a few tips to help you create the perfect gallery wall in your own home.

1) Mix, mix, mix. I think it’s really beautiful to mix prints, photos, and objects on your wall.   You can mix the colors of the frames as well.   As long as the color tie into the colors you’ve chosen for your room, it will look great.   Here I used keys, photos, vinyl, prints, and even my husband’s old chain rings from his bike.   (He’s really into cycling and I like his interests to be part of the decor.)

2) Take your time. If you try to create a gallery over night you’ll probably spend a LOT of money.   I like to slowly accumulate frames and objects here and there.   I grab a frame when it’s on clearance.

Start in the center and slowly built outward as you find more pieces you love. Clearance artwork is a great way to find a well-priced frame.   This picture wasn’t my style, but the whole thing was $9 so I took it home.   I had to pry the back off, but it became the frame you just saw above.   (Sidenote:   The puppies in the picture are part of my footed jammies.   I believe all my best work has been done while wearing pajamas.   Who doesn’t love being cozy and comfy?)

3) Hang it right the first time. Be sure to measure, use levels, and do all the things that will help you get it right the first time.   Sometimes when getting lazy you can end up having a lot more holes in the wall than you need (not that I’ve ever done that 🙂   You can always lay things out on the floor first if that helps you get your lay out.

4) Pick photos that don’t have to be changed. Let me explain.   If you use photos like school pictures, then they feel outdated in a year.   If you pick photos that mark a certain period in your life then you won’t feel like you have to change them all the time.   I put a wedding one up, even though that was years ago.   I picked this one from when I was pregnant with #2 because it’s fun to remember how our family has grown.   These kind of photos make me reminisce and they make me happy.

5)   Display with meaning. As I mentioned, I love to display things that mean something.   The frame that says “stretch” displays my personal goal for the year.   It helps me remember who I’m trying to become.   If you want to see how I made it you can find it HERE.

One of my favorite quotes that helps me look on the bright side of things is displayed as well.   It’s a printable I created and you can print it off if you’d like.   There are a few to choose from HERE.

So, find a blank wall and go for it!   Put up all the things you love and smile every time you walk by it.   Here’s a final look at how ours fits into our home.

Thanks for having me Beckie!   All of you are welcome at my place anytime.   -Cheri