DIY Photo Gallery Wall

I have been wanting a gallery wall along my upstairs hallway for a long time but I just couldn’t bring myself to spend the money. Most gallery walls are really expensive, especially if you purchase them as a package. Of course the expensive walls are beautiful and probably worth every penny but at this time, a gallery wall package was just not within my budget, so I decided to tackle the project myself. Below are two walls designed by Pottery Barn which I used for inspiration.

  I love the black, white and hits of gold. I also love the addition of road signs, clocks and letters to keep the wall super interesting and eclectic.

    Over the past few months I have been slowly collecting frames from other rooms in my house, and purchasing them from Walmart, Target,  Hobby Lobby and thrift stores. To help me narrow down my search, I settled on a black, white and silver theme.

Once I had a bunch of frames I started to arrange them on my floor to get a layout that I liked and to figure out if there were other shapes and sizes needed to complete this project. You can also design your layout by cutting out frame-sized paper and taping it to the wall but that just seems like a ton of work. Plus, I have a light-colored carpet on my floor and plenty of space.

I also knew that my gallery wall was not going to be perfectly arranged or coordinated, and I didn’t want it to be! (Perhaps my desire for a bit of chaos was part of the reason I didn’t end up splurging for a set in the end?) The largest black frame was crafted my by father-in-law; it is actually hollow and at one time had a photo of my kids with a lovely poem written across the front. It used to be sage and gold, a color scheme that no longer fits with my home decor, so I have since painted it black. Once painted, I used Velcro to attach a smaller silver frame that I had lying around in my house. It is a really simple design with big impact and the best part is that I didn’t have to spend anything on this frame. If you are interested in re-creating this look I think it would be rather inexpensive to purchase some lightweight wood and have it cut to size (18 X20 is what I have). Paint it black (or any color that fits your style) and attach a smaller frame to the back using Velcro (or hot glue if you don’t plan on changing out the picture). I attached some wire across the back of the large black frame which allows for easy hanging and removing.    Inside the silver frame I did use some craft paper as my photo was much smaller than the frame itself and it didn’t have any matting.  Rather than spending money on a custom matte, I found some black and white craft paper for $.60.

The photograph inside this frame was taken by my mother.  She used to shoot and develop her own film in our bathroom; I can still see the red light and smell the chemicals. She captured this moment between me and my father; a special moment between father and daughter during which we were both laughing about who-knows-what. We were simply happy. I cherish this nostalgic photo as it represents a piece of my mother’s creative side, it reminds me of those fleeting childhood moments filled with easy laughter and simply makes me smile. Although I already owned most of the frames that I used, I did purchase the large silver frame and the large black frame from Target on clearance for under $10.00 each. The black and white chevron frames came from Hobby Lobby; they cost $12-$15 dollars each but I used my 40% off printable coupon so that saved me a bundle and they add some much needed pattern to my black and white gallery wall.

The last purchase was the bunny print. I found that at The Empty Nest (Janet’s store here in Old town Warrenton). It called to me the last time I was in her store maybe because Atlas was born on Easter? It was very reasonably priced and it fits perfectly amongst the other black, white and silver frames even with the touch of gold.

In the end, my gallery wall is not perfectly matched or even perfectly placed (I eyeballed it) but I love how it turned out. It displays special memories and moments that I feel deserved to be showcased on my wall. I hope to add to it as time passes, as I collect more frames and special pieces and more memories are captured.  

Thanks for stopping by~