My Gallery Wall

It only took five weeks for me to make some decisions about our walls.  I wasn't crazy about just translating our old decor to our new walls.  I wanted something new, something fresh, and something that fit the style of this house.  I had seen (and loved) the idea of a gallery wall on Pinterest, but I wasn't sure if I'd like it long term...or if it was just a fad.  After searching a bit more on Pinterest, I decided to go for it!

After all, I always thought Uggs were a fad, too, but mine still make frequent appearances in the winter months.

Anyway, I picked up a few new things, but also tried to use what I already had to keep the price at a minimum.  Shockingly, Walmart had some pretty cute and inexpensive frames--exactly the look I was going for--and I found/purchased some pops of turquoise at Hobby Lobby.  My gallery wall went from a mere vision to on-the-wall in five days.

And I love it!  In fact, I couldn't love it more!  I love the mix of photos and prints, and black and brown, and gold and white.  I love the turquoise, love the rectangular array, and love the non-frame pieces I found.  I love that it represents our family in so many ways and I love that I can change out photos and prints when I get sick of what's up there.  Every time I look at this part of our house (which is every time I come down the stairs), it just makes me happy.

And now for the details:

1 | Frame from Walmart (for $4, I might add!).  Print by yours truly!  I needed one final print and couldn't find anything I liked {for free} on Pinterest.  Craig suggested a crown in honor of the Royals.  A Google Image search resulted in this.  Only it was pink.  I used my mad Word skills to turn it into a pale gray.  I love it.  Craig says it looks like the Budweiser crown, but hey, we enjoy beer as much as we do the Royals.  So it works either way! :)

2 | Frame from Walmart (another $4 gem!). 

3 | Clipboard thingy with burlap is from Walmart. I feel like this, along with #8, really helped tie together the black frames that I already had with the new brown frames.

4 | Reused an old frame. 

5 | Gold and white frame from Walmart.  Kansas print from Kyla Mary Shop on Etsy.  This is the only print I paid for, I might add! 

6 | Reused an old frame.

7 | Gold frame with print included from Hobby Lobby.

8 | Frame from Walmart.

9 | Turquoise mirror from Hobby Lobby.

10 | Frame from Walmart. (Same as #2)

11 | Turquoise metal design from Hobby Lobby.

12 | Mirror from Hobby Lobby.

13 | Reused an old frame.

14 | Frame from Walmart.  (Same as #1)  FREE Choose Happy print found here.

15 | Frame from Walmart.  It was actually a diploma/certificate holder (for $4 again!), which was perfect for an 8.5x11 print.  FREE feather print found here.

16 | Reused an old frame.  FREE turquoise chevron print found here.  

17 | This was something that hung in our old house and I loved it!  But I hadn't found a place for it here.  It was perfect for the gallery wall!

18 | Frame from Walmart.  (Same as #15)  I used Word to make the print.  It includes the dates of our first date, engagement, wedding, Brantley's birth, and Holden's birth.  I couldn't love this one any more!

19 | Reused an old frame.

The letters and ampersands were all purchased at Hobby Lobby.  I painted the C & S with turquoise spray paint.

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I've had a few questions about the organization of the entire wall and some comments about how I planned the placement of each piece so perfectly.  Here are the steps I took and what worked for me!

| 1 |

Arrange and rearrange the pieces on the floor.  After my initial arrangement, I decided to add four more frames.  Then, I spent a significant amount of time arranging again to my liking. 

| 2 |

Take pictures from above and look at the arrangement both in real life and in the photos.  Sometimes, you get a different perspective in a photo.  Again, I rearranged about a million times before I was finally happy.

| 3 |

Trace each piece on packing/tissue paper and cut out.  Lay on top of original pieces on floor to ensure you've traced everything.  Then number each piece of paper (left to right and top to bottom, as if you're reading a book) or write a general description of each piece on the paper.  I did both because I'm that anal.  I also noted whether the frame was oriented horizontally or vertically.  Not that I wouldn't know based on the direction of my writing, but I wanted to be certain.  (Told you I was anal!)  Take a picture of your final arrangement on the floor, if you didn't already!!

| 4 |

Measure the height and width of the arrangement and the height and width of the area on the wall.  Calculate how much space you need on each side and on the top and bottom in order to space the frames/arrangement to your liking.  Then use painter's tape to tape each piece of paper on the wall.  It should be easy based on your numbers and/or descriptions.  Use the picture you took, too!  Once all of the papers are on the wall, you can readjust/space to your liking.

| 5 |

Finally, remove each piece of paper one by one and replace it with the actual frame.  If you're lucky like me, you'll have a cooperative significant other to help with this part.  Even though he informed me it was "the worst project of his life".  And I'm not going to lie, we have about 1.5 times the number of nail holes as frames.  Unless you're perfect, you will likely make mistakes and things will need moved a quarter of an inch here and there.  You're already going to have a million nail holes in your wall anyway, so what's another few??