Although it’s not as easy as hanging a single piece of art, when faced with a large expanse of wall space in a room, a gallery wall is such a great decorating element to use. Not only can you stylishly share family photos, but other artwork can be mixed together. And if you keep the frames in a cohesive style or color a gallery wall can make for a very impressive statement wall. Here’s how to make a gallery wall in your house with a simple DIY gallery wall template.
We have used gallery walls in several rooms and spaces over the years as I worked out our own decorating style and worked with a sometimes tight budget that didn’t allow for large pieces of art.
This gallery wall was designed to help disguise a small tv.
This gallery wall in our daughter’s room was filled with some of her favorite things.
So how do you create your own gallery wall?
How to Put Together Your Own Gallery Wall – The Easy Way!
There’s a simple trick to creating a gallery wall and that is to create kraft paper templates of the frames and art pieces you plan to use. By taping those to the wall (with painter’s tape, so you don’t ruin the paint) first, you can avoid multiple holes and attempts to hang each piece.
Supplies
- framed photos and artwork, like:
- family photos
- art prints
- sketches
- kid’s artwork
- architectural elements and artifacts
- tv’s (an arrangement of art around a tv tends to help it blend in)
- postcards
- vacation mementos
- grandma’s china
- jewelry
- game pieces
- hammer
- nails
- screws
- screwdriver
- brown kraft paper
- painter’s tape
Instructions
01. Prepare your wall space
To start you need a big blank wall space, obviously. Which you likely have if you’re here working on this project. 😉
02. Collect your framed photos and artwork
You can use family photos, art prints, silhouettes and other mementos. Gather up what you think you want to include in your gallery wall.
03. Make your own templates
Trace each frame onto a roll of brown Kraft paper, labelling each one with the art, the frame colour (so you don’t have all black on one side or anything) and the orientation (portrait or landscape).
04. Arrange (and rearrange) your kraft paper templates
Using painter’s tape, arrange each paper frame template on the wall starting with all the large frames first, filling in the spaces with smaller frames.
Make necessary adjustments, moving around the kraft paper templates (because they’re so much easier to move) until you’re happy with the arrangement.
05. Measure for hangers
For each frame, measure the location of the hanger on the back. Then measure and mark the hanger placement onto the coordinating paper frame.
06. Affix your hanger
You can do this right through the paper frame template in the marked location to the wall. If a frame or piece of art has two hangers instead of one, make sure to use a level to make sure they’re correctly placed.
07. Hang your frames
Removing each paper template one by one, hang the frame, and repeat for all frames.
That’s it! Recycle the used paper templates and enjoy your gallery wall.
Have you ever hung a gallery wall? Do you have any more questions that I didn’t answer here before you start your own?
Want to see more content like this in your Google searches?
This button tells Google that Home Made Lovely is a source you like, so it can show you more of it.
How lovely, it looks fantastic!
I must remember that next time I re-do our walls
Thank you! S.
Love! Still trying to fill the frames in my gallery wall, haha! Thanks for the inspiration to finish it off!
Lol. That’s okay…I don’t know if anyone noticed but there is one frame that isn’t filled. I’m waiting for this print from Jones Designs: http://jonesdesigncompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/family-rules.jpg. S.
There is a real art to this and you definitely have the eye for it. It looks wonderful and I really like that wall color.
Pam @ BeColorful
Thank you Pam. 🙂 The wall colour is CIL Wexford Fog. S.
Thanks for reminding me that it IS worth the time to make all the templates. I’m working on a arrangement to go above the couch. The templates not only help with placement–but all that hammering!
Trust me, I was starting to wonder if it was worth it…all those paper templates! Especially when the kraft paper would curl because it had been rolled so long! Oi! But then I started to plan it out on the wall and I was so thankful for the templates. Would you show us your gallery wall when it’s finished? S.
You did it! All of your amazing planning certainly paid off in spades! You made it look so fresh… yea!!!
Thank you Jules!!! 🙂
Looks lovely, the white frames goes well with your wall colour. Great to plan beforehand coz it saves time when the time comes to put up the frames, thanks for sharing the idea.
Definitely saves time. Doesn’t seem like it when cutting out all the templates…but then it’s a cinch to hang all the frames. 🙂
This looks so damn good! Heaps of prep isn’t it (I’ve done one too but not as fancy as yours!) but well worth it bet you smile each time you walk past 😉
Popping over from Thrifty Decor Chick
Lol. Thank you! Lots of prep, but you are SO right – absolutely worth it!
It looks awesome!!!
🙂
shaunna
Thank you Shaunna! S.
This is BEAUTIFUL!
I just stumbled upon your blog somehow – and let me just say I am in TOTAL awe and admiration of your handiwork, your photos – your home is GORGEOUS!
I love the colours, the design, the pictures, everything! Just beautiful!
Thank you so much for sharing – I will be back! I want to move in, I love it that much! 🙂
Hi, I love your gallery wall. How, long did it take? I have been putting off a very similar project. I found your site through Shauna West and I can’t pull myself away. It is truly unbelievable to see the transformations you guys pull off! You are very talented and inspirational. Thanks so much! I cant wait to purchase and read your book! Will it work with a kindlefire?
Hi Erin! Love Shaunna! The gallery wall took one afternoon to put up. It couldn’t take longer ’cause I used our queen bed to lay out the brown paper templates! Lol. It is a fair amount of work but it’s so worth it. Right now the ebook is only in PDF but it will be available in other formats soon. Check back for updates. 🙂
Thank you so much for the inspiration to complete our gallery wall! I have linked to your site in my tutorial!
Have a great Victoria Day!
http://threechicksoneegg.blogspot.ca/2012/04/gallery-wall.html
Hi! What size frames did you use on the wall gallery with black frames 3×3? Thanks!
They were frames from Michaels, made to fit 8×8 inch photos in the mattes. So the whole frame size is about 12×12. 🙂