Hey everyone, thanks for coming to read how we created our gallery wall. If you’re new around here you need to know that I love a good home project because I’m low-key obsessed with design and home decor. I know hanging a gallery wall can sound daunting because it was to me, too. I put it off for a couple of years actually, but now that it’s all said and DONE, I’m so relieved! I’m sharing just how we did ours in this post. I’m not saying it’s the RIGHT or easiest way, but it’s how we got it done.
What You Need to Create a Gallery Wall
I feel like since I’m explaining HOW we did this, I also need to state exactly what you need to create a gallery wall. Obviously frames are a must.
I chose these frames from Target to create my gallery wall (I chose 11×14 so it would take up a majority of the wall space). This frame comes in 3 different size options. I always knew I wanted gold frames but it had to be the RIGHT gold so it wouldn’t look dated or too “glam”. I am going for a mixture of refined farmhouse as I decorate our house and so picking a gold accent color has to be just right.
If you’re interested in other gallery frames that were on my list (and I may still use in our master bedroom), you can check out my picks here! I printed my photos after all of the frames were hung, but you could totally print your photos ahead of time and plan out the placement with the prints already framed.
You will also need nails, a hammer, a level, and painter’s tape to complete the project the same way that we did. If you are using heavier frames, you may need screws and/or wall anchors. You probably already have most of those items in your garage, but if not, they are super easy to find at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
The Project-Doer
My husband Dale, is my project-doer (bless him). He also is a mechanical engineer. That has absolutely nothing to do with hanging a gallery-frame wall, but it does have everything to do with his approach to strategizing. Sure, I could have looked up how to do this on Pinterest because I know there are a million posts about it. But my husband loves a challenge (even if he acts like he doesn’t). This project was like a puzzle with a big red bow on it (at least that’s the way I viewed it).
I joke around a lot but really I am extremely appreciative of Dale’s willingness to pretty much pull the weight in any project I dream of. He’s seriously the most supportive and (mostly) cool with whatever I throw in his direction. That’s saying a lot, because most projects are just dreams that I start and he always has to finish them. That’s a good husband, folks.
Strategy
Okay, so back to gallery wall strategy. Like I said before, there are tons of posts about gallery wall strategies on Pinterest. To be honest, I haven’t looked at a single one. I probably should have, before trying to tackle this project, but Dale is pretty creative and logical and came up with his own approach.
For the first step of our strategy, I started by laying out all of the gallery frames on the floor. I “eyeballed it” and decided I wanted 2 inches between each frame (top-to-bottom and side-to-side). We then measured the map of the frames on the floor to estimate total area of the wall it would take up (using a measuring tape).
Next, we measured and penciled out that area on the wall to place it where we wanted it. It’s a pretty large, blank, wall and I wanted it in just the right spot, but not centered. Once we had strategized the spot for the gallery, we marked where the top right frame would go. That frame would be the starting point for the rest of our frames. After we laid out the blueprint, Dale figured out just how he was going to hang the rest of the frames perfectly altogether.
Taping and Mapping
This is where my husband’s creativity came into play. His idea was to take painter’s tape and map out a partial grid so that we could mark where to put the nails for the frames. He first hung the top three photos. I don’t think it was a totally necessary step but I think it helped him come up with the idea of mapping out the rest of the frames by taping.
From the 3 nails that he had placed in the wall, he taped a horizontal and a vertical line (the top and right edges of the gallery square). He then measured over and down to where the next nails would be and used his level to mark those spots. (The level part is obviously important!) From those nails, he could finish out the grid by repeating that process of taping and marking nail placement.
Placing the Nails
Next came placing the nails. Dale placed the nails on his measured marks and hung the photos one at a time to make sure they were level with the surrounding photos. We took them back down each time to place more nails. Once all the nails were placed, we re-hung all of the frames to make sure that they were each level and there was equal spacing between each of them. Some minor adjustments had to be made in order to make the frames exactly level and even (a matter of re-angling the nail or moving it slightly).
The Gallery Wall of my Dreams
The gallery wall of my dreams had finally been hung and all I needed to do next was pick the photos for each of the frames. I made sure to choose photos of different styles (different poses, some with Dean and some without) to make sure to give the wall some variety. A couple of the photos I chose ended up looking too much alike so I ended up swapping them out. Printing 11×14 photos is about $10 a piece at Walgreens so I wanted to print a very minimal amount. I carefully chose 10 photos to print and that way we could swap one out if needed. That gave me one extra print but I will still be able use it in another frame somewhere else in the house.
Once I had all of my photos printed and picked up, I put them into the frames and hung them all back up (this also required use of the level).
I have to say, this is one of my favorite projects to date because I got to use some of my favorite family photos we have (thanks to Samantha Kurtz Photography). I saved our engagement and wedding photos for use in another gallery wall in our master bedroom. I love that as our family grows, I can swap these out for newer photos. I just love looking at this wall every morning! This gallery wall project was a complete success and I’m so thankful for my husband who is willing to execute just about any project I dream up!
Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading. If you liked this content, give me a follow on Instagram so you can keep up with the rest of our home decor/remodeling projects! I also share lots of style and beauty product content and you can check out and shop all of my favorite picks by using the “Shop My Style” tab, or following me in the free LIKEtoKNOW.it app.
Until Next Time!
xo, Cait
