Live & Play Twin Cities: Create A Gallery Wall

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Create A Gallery Wall

Whether you have artists in your family, a great collection of art or an eclectic collection of photos, art and fabric, you can create spot to showcase it all.

Step 1: Decide where you want it

Do you want it in the long hallway where it's hard to hang just one or two pictures? Do you want to showcase it on a living room wall? Up the stairway? In a bathroom? Based on the number of pieces you have, pick your location and then move on to step 2.

Step 2: Do your research

Okay, here's the fun part. I'm giving you permission to spend time on Pinterest. In the Search function, type in Gallery Wall. Then peruse the pictures and determine what you like best. Here are some things to decide:

Matching frames or random ones, or not frames (wrapped canvas)?
Symmetrical placement or asymmetrical?
Lots of small pictures, a few big ones or a mix?
All color, all black and white or a mix?
Span the entire surface or just a portion (like a 4 ft tall section all the way across)?
Small spaces between the frames or larger ones?
What speaks to me?

Once you have a strategy in mind, then move on to step 3.

Step 3: Determine your layout

10 Tips for Creating a Collected Gallery Wall at TidbitsAndTwine. Checkout this handy idea from 320 Sycamore for laying out and hanging a gallery wall using paper templates so that you can move them around until you get them positioned just how you want! If when making the templates you also mark where the nail goes, once you have a layout you like, you can put the nails in the wall, tear away the templates, and you’re ready to hang!

Source: tidbitsandtwine.com

Based on your research, find the pieces that you want to include in your gallery. For each finished size (with frames), cut out some newspaper or butcher paper to fit each piece. Now lay them out in an arrangement that meets the criteria you spelled out in step 2. But don't be married to it. Allow yourself room to change your mind based on what you love.

Once your newspapers are in the right pattern on the floor, place your pieces over them to see if they blend well together in that arrangement. If not, change it until you're happy.

Step 4: Finishing touches

If you decided you wanted all the same frames, then either purchase frames or paint them so that they are all similar. Use quality picture hanging hardware. If your pieces are heavy, be sure to use drywall anchors so that they won't pull back out of your walls. Measure, measure, measure and then measure once more before pounding in your nails.