The other day, I got a question on Instagram asking how to do a gallery wall right.
“A gallery wall is loosely defined as a collection of items: framed artwork, photographs, and personal treasures hung in a grouping.” – via Google
Gallery walls are a great addition to any space. They come in all shapes and sizes. You can customize them in so many ways. Anything can be hung on a gallery wall and you can get creative with the placement of the items on the gallery wall.
Today, I wanted to share some easy tips to show you how to do a gallery wall right.
Let’s start with supplies.
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Supplies Needed To Do A Gallery Wall
- Painter’s Tape
- Tape Measure
- Level
- Items To Hang On The Gallery Wall
- Hammer
- Picture Hanging Kit (different items needs different hangers)
How To Hang A Gallery Wall
The first thing you have to do is decide on the wall where you are putting the gallery wall.
Then, you need to decide how big you want the gallery wall to be on that wall.
I suggest leaving a 10-12″ distance between the gallery wall itself and the edges of the wall. So, the gallery wall won’t go to the edges of the wall. I like to measure out the gallery wall where I will hang things and use painter’s tape to frame it out before I hang anything. Once I have the area taped, it gives me a good visual of the area the gallery wall will take up.
Now, it is time to gather the things you want to hang inside the taped gallery wall. If you aren’t sure what to hang on the gallery wall, look on Pinterest for some ideas. A gallery wall doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Shop your home first and then, head to a thrift store or shop some yard sales to see what you can find.
Once you have the items for your wall, it is time to figure out where they will go on the gallery wall. A huge help in doing this is to take some brown craft paper, newspaper, old wrapping paper, etc., and trace the outline of each item on the paper. Then, cut out the shapes. Once you have all the shapes, start putting them on your gallery wall with painter’s tape. This will let you try different looks with the exact shape of the items without putting a bunch of holes in the wall. Once you have the paper shapes where you like them, hang the actual items where their paper twin is.
Examples of Things to Hang on a Gallery Wall
The piece below has so much great texture! It is a good size and shape too. You could paint it any color to fit the aesthetic of your home.
Of course, framed pictures are very popular for gallery walls. Thrift stores are full of frames at a great price!
Think outside of the box with these next examples. You can paint over anything. If you like the shape or size of wall decor, but not what is on it, paint over it!
I love the triangle of the all art below, but not the saying. I would paint over this to fit our home and still have the shape and the size.
If you like the frame but not the color, paint it! You can always change what is inside a frame too. You may find a picture that has the perfect-sized frame that you need for something else. Use it!
Symbols are a great thing to add to a gallery wall. If your family has a symbol that means something, add it to a gallery wall. An anchor is a symbol that has meaning to me. I would paint this a different color and remove the rope.
Hanging baskets and wreaths are another great option for gallery walls.
Again, gallery walls can be made up of all kinds of things. I love the simplicity of all the same picture frames on a gallery wall with different pictures inside. Black and white family photos inside black frames with white mattes make for a beautiful gallery wall display.
FAQ about gallery walls:
Do the things hanging on the gallery wall have to be the same?
Not at all! Have fun with it! You can hang all kinds of things on a gallery wall.
How big should a gallery wall be?
As big as you want it. I would suggest leaving some space around the gallery wall itself and the edge of the wall.
What kinds of things should you hang on a gallery wall?
There are no rules here. I gave some examples above, but the possibilities are endless. It all depends on the look you are wanting in the end.
Can a gallery wall be anywhere in the house?
Yep! A gallery wall can be small (3-5 items) or it can be a lot bigger. So, you could have a gallery wall in any space in your home.
How many items should make up a gallery wall?
This will depend on the look you like. I would play around with it until you like the look. There is no right or wrong answer here. You may have many items on your gallery wall and someone else may only have a few. Look at the inspiration that we talked about above. What are you drawn to? What kinds of gallery walls do you like most?
I hope these tips for how to do a gallery wall right have helped. I would LOVE to see your gallery walls. Post a picture on Instagram and tag me @mycreativedays!
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