“How do you do that?” “Did you buy one of those picture hanging kits, the kind with all the frames and a paper layout?” These are the kinds of questions I get when I hang new frames on the wall. A picture wall with various frames hung in different arrangements looks intimidating, but it is not! Here is what I do to create a family picture wall, oh, a cheap inexpensive family picture wall!
First, figure out where you want it in your house and collect any frames you have that you plan on using. When I started my picture wall I had 4 frames I was going to use ( donated by my mom) and then I bought 5. Don’t worry about what color they are, remember your frames are not all suppose to match! You can easily change color at home with an inexpensive bottle of paint from the craft store, they cost a buck.
When looking for frames keep in mind what styles you like, but also pay attention to frames that are somewhat opposite if you are going for an eclectic look or frames that are the same sleek design, but a little different if you are going for a more formal look.
I only bought clearance frames and they all cost under $5 a frame. So my picture wall only cost $25 dollars!
Second, once you have all your frames lay them out on a surface that is similar in color to your wall color (I used my floor, but you can also use a blanket or sheet). This will help you to see how your frames will look on your wall and move your frames around until you have an arrangement you like. When you get an arrangement you like, take a picture! You may end up with more than one arrangement you like, take a picture each time, so you have something to look back on to decide. Don’t worry if you don’t have the pictures in the frames yet, that doesn’t matter.
As you can see from my pictures below, I changed my frames after I layed them out. I painted a white one blue and then sanded it to give it a worn look. I painted another a light blue. I also just lightly sanded a wood frame to make it look different than the others. In design you want to use color and texture, sand paper is great at helping create texture!
Third, choose the picture of the layout you like best, put pictures in your frames, and get your lovely husband to use his laser level to hang your frames!
Oh, another piece of picture advice, when getting your prints to put in your frames, order them in a couple different sizes. Sometimes an 8x10 print cut down to fit a 5x7 frame looks better than just ordering a 5x7 because that is the size of the frame (a great way to get a close up without taking one in the first place)!
