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Gallery walls are a great way to fill an empty space in a fun and dynamic way. Since gallery walls come in all shapes and sizes, there’s a layout that’s perfect for your decor scheme. But getting started on your gallery wall project can be a challenge. 

As your go-to custom framing experts, we’re here to help you get started. Here are our tips for planning a gallery wall. And instead of just telling you the steps, I’m going to walk you through how I helped Cari from @lovinglittlehalls plan her gorgeous bedroom gallery wall. 

Find Inspiration

Knowing what you like and especially what you don’t like is an important step in the gallery wall planning process. With so many different styles and layouts, it helps to narrow down things like your photos and art and your ideal layout style. 

The best places to find inspiration are Pinterest and Instagram. Look for things like layout, frame styles and print ideas. These inspiration examples will help guide you throughout the process.

For Cari’s gallery wall, she liked the layout presented by the Etsy shop she purchased her prints from. Seeing how North Prints showcased the set of vintage art printables together helped us plan the layout and pair the prints with frames. 

Create a Moodboard

Once you have an idea for the overall configuration and style, start pulling in the images, colors, mouldings and mats you’d like to incorporate into your gallery wall. Seeing all the details together on one page will help you finalize your vision. 

Your moodboard doesn’t have to be pretty or fancy. It just helps to see the prints, the frames and the colors all together visually.

Here’s a look at the moodboard for Cari’s gallery wall. I took the gallery sets she had from North Prints and sandwiched them together to get a loose first pass at the layout. I pulled images from our product pages to show the details of the moudlings. Lastly, I photoshopped some mouldings onto the prints to get an idea of how the styles coordinated together and with the prints. 

We chose our Palazzo, Liscio Argeto and Adair mouldings for this gallery wall. 

Plan Your Layout

The easiest way to plan your layout is to take a picture of the wall and add the images and frames digitally. Again, it doesn’t have to be pretty or realistic but the closer you can get to the right scale of frame sizes on your wall the better. 

Once you have the image uploaded, you can take screenshots of your images and frames and start moving them around until you find a gallery wall layout that you like. The more time you spend on planning here, the easier it will be to both order and hang your gallery wall. 

Cari and I went back and forth several times to figure out the layout of her gallery wall. We swapped frame styles and images sizes. We moved the prints around to find the right balance. With so much room on her bedroom wall to play with, we used it to our full advantage. We sized and spaced the frames to essentially cover the area from bed level to curtain rod height. 

After we decided on the frame sizes and configurations, Cari cut out paper templates for each frame. She used our mockups to confirm that the sizing and spacing were perfect before we placed the order.

Once Cari received her frames, we ended up making some last-minute changes. Seeing the frames together in the configuration we planned out, we were able to spot some areas of improvement. 

Hang Your Frames

Creating a mockup of your gallery wall layout on your wall is great for more than just planning reasons. It acts as a blueprint or map to help you hang your frames. Having your mockup printed out or on a screen nearby will help make hanging your frames a breeze.

If you have the space, layout the frames on the floor or a surface so you can easily transfer them to the wall. Start with the center of your gallery wall and work from there. You can check out our gallery wall hanging tips for more information on hanging your frames. 

Since she didn’t have to worry about perfect spacing or straight lines, Cari was able to use our updated mockup to eyeball the placement of her eclectic gallery wall. With sawtooth hangers, she was able to translate the gallery wall from her screen to reality. Check out our picture frame hanging tips to make your picture hanging experience easier!

And voila! The gallery wall is complete. 

Let’s recap

• We found inspiration for the frames and layout from the Etsy print shop she found her prints from. 
• We created a moodboard compiling all the prints and frames that we thought would look great in her space.
• We used her real wall to mockup different layouts and configurations to make sure our vision would look right at home in her bedroom.
• We cut out templates for the frames to make sure the sizing was correct before ordering.
• We made last-minute adjustments after seeing the frames together. 
• We used the mockup as a blueprint to hang the frames on the wall.

The process of planning a gallery wall can be a long one, but in the end, it’s time well spent. If you’re in need of some gallery wall advice, contact us.

Thank you @lovinglittlehalls for your trust, assistance and patience in this planning process!

About The Author

Brittany DeMauro is the Creative Director here at CustomPictureFrames.com. With a background in creative writing and a passion for all things DIY, you'll find her in the shop crafting content. She can always find space for a fun gallery wall and loves discovering new artists to display around her home (in custom frames, of course!) When she's not creating content for our brand, she can most likely be found binging shows on Netflix with her two cats.

We’re about to share a little secret to create a DIY texture frame your home worth of the best home décor Pinterest feed. Are you ready? Joint compound. Yes, this container filled with a material used to smooth seams and smooth drywall in your home can also be used to add texture and layers to a canvas frame filled with peaks and valleys. Take it a step further and create a mixed media piece with an ombre assortment of acrylic paints and chunky glitter for a little sparkle. The thin molding of our Ryder frame adds a beautiful finishing touch to your textured piece that looks great in a dining room or any living space in your home.

Supplies:

• Canvas Frame
• Canvas
• Joint Compound
• Putty Knives
• Acrylic Paints
• Paintbrush
• Glitter

First, make sure to cover your workspace.

Apply a generous amount of joint compound to your canvas. Use a putty knife, plastic fork or whatever tool you have handy and push around the material. Try different techniques to achieve different results. Squish it in and lift to create peaks. Smooth it over to create flat areas. Drag a string through to give a fabric texture. Use a plastic fork to poke holes to create a pattern.

Allow to dry overnight.

Apply acrylic paint onto the canvas. We tried an ombre technique with different blues starting with a deeper blue at the bottom.

For a little extra sparkle, sprinkle some fine glitter onto the piece while the paint is still wet.

Once the paint and glitter are dry, screw the canvas onto the frame. Tip: Try to do this while the frame is standing and don’t flip it over to apply. This will help stop the raised peaks from getting cracked and breaking off.

With the help of the 1/4 inch lip, the Ryder frame will make your canvas look like they're floating within like you commonly see in art galleries.

Hang this DIY Texture Frame in a dominant place in your home and enjoy your inexpensive piece of art.

About The Author

Tara Nehil is author of SpotOfTeaDesigns.com, a lifestyle blog sharing home décor, crafts, party inspiration and parenting lessons learned the hard way. Her graphic design background is evident in the home she lives in and styles with her husband of 8 years and 2 young daughters. Follow her creative journey for photo tutorials, printables, budget-friendly decorating tips and ways to celebrate occasions big and small.

You can draw with a pencil, marker, or crayon, but did you know you can also draw with hot glue? Yes, this solid to liquid adhesive dries hard and is a fun way to add a layered and raised texture to your canvas. Give into this textured look and create a piece of boho canvas art for your home or office featuring a trio of arrows. Finish off this unique piece of art with a canvas frame, like the Seraphina Floater Frame that incorporates that country charm with those rustic elements into your existing décor.

Supplies:

• Canvas Frame
• Canvas
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• Acrylic Paint and Paintbrush
• Pencil

First, draw out your design lightly on your canvas.

Next, plug in your glue gun and trace your pencil drawing.

Cover the entire canvas, including the hot glue with a paint color of your choice. Tip: two coats are probably necessary to provide good coverage.

Once fully dry, secure your canvas in your frame.  

The light color of this Seraphina canvas frame allows your design of choice to stand out. Its subtle texture compliments the raised look of this glue gun art.

About The Author

Tara Nehil is author of SpotOfTeaDesigns.com, a lifestyle blog sharing home décor, crafts, party inspiration and parenting lessons learned the hard way. Her graphic design background is evident in the home she lives in and styles with her husband of 8 years and 2 young daughters. Follow her creative journey for photo tutorials, printables, budget-friendly decorating tips and ways to celebrate occasions big and small.

Float mounting is a cool technique used to raise your art slightly above the backing and make it appear floating. This mounting method is a way to add depth and dimension to your display. From photos and art, textiles or objects, it helps to show off any unique edges or emphasizes the depth of 3D objects.

Luckily for you, float mounting is easy. Follow along with this tutorial to make your art, textile or object look like it was framed in an actual custom framing shop - for a fraction of the price!

To float mount your art, you'll need a frame, mat board, foam core, frame spacers, tools like a small utility knife, scissors, art tape, ruler and pencil, and the art piece of your choice.

When choosing your frame to float mount your art in, you want to make sure that it has enough space inside for the art to breathe. The art should not touch the glass and should have enough room for a piece of foam core to fit behind it. You can sort by frame depth in our picture frame or shadow box sections to find the perfect depth for your object.  

Step 1: Cut your mat board to be the same size as the back of the frame. All of our frames come with a pre-cut backing, so if you've ordered a custom frame from us, you can skip this step.   

Step 2: Cut the foam core about a quarter inch smaller than the art or object. It should be small enough not to see it when in the frame. 

Measure your art and trace its outline on the foam core. Measure 1/4 of an inch from this outline, and make a mark. This will serve as your reference point to cut parallel to the outline of your art.

Next, take your knife and carefully cut the foam core out, staying 1/4 of an inch inside of the outline at all times.  

Step 3: Next, mount your art to the foam core using artist tape. Ensure that the foam core is completely covered. 

Step 4: Tape the foam core to the mat or backing, ensuring it's centered. You can eyeball your placement or measure to find the center for accuracy.  

Step 5: Measure and cut the spacers to fit tightly around the inside perimeter of the frame. The spacers are needed so that your art does not touch the glass while in the frame. We recommend using foam core for a seamless fit with the backing. If you order your frame for this float mounting project from our shadow box section, we'll provide and install the spacers for you!

Step 6: Assemble your frame and check out your masterpiece.

Float mounting works with all kinds of art and objects. Find a frame today on our website, where you will find hundreds of frame options with a wide variety of sizes, styles, and depths to choose from to make your floating art come to life.    

Special thanks to artist Gina Julian, who lent her art and expertise to help create this tutorial!

About The Author

Brittany DeMauro is the Creative Director here at CustomPictureFrames.com. With a background in creative writing and a passion for all things DIY, you'll find her in the shop crafting content. She can always find space for a fun gallery wall and loves discovering new artists to display around her home (in custom frames, of course!) When she's not creating content for our brand, she can most likely be found binging shows on Netflix with her two cats.

With the new year in full swing, you might be itching to make some changes in your life—changes like adopting healthy habits, learning new things or even updating your appearance. But those image upgrades don’t just have to stop at your hair and wardrobe. Updating your space can breathe new life into your home or office. 

While a complete redesign might not be in the cards or the budget, there’s something inexpensive and easy you can do to make your rooms feel new. Update your art. 

Here are some easy and affordable ways to refresh your space.

Move Your Wall Art Around

Reconfiguring where you display specific frames can make all the difference. 

These frames fit perfectly in this space between my corner and my closet. However, these shadow boxes were directly across from a window, which created a constant glare. 

The easiest solution was to find these frames a new home where they would look their best. Instead of displaying these shadow boxes across from my window, I moved them next to the window to eliminate the reflection.

Replace the Art

Nothing makes a space feel refreshed like new art on display. There are plenty of ways to upgrade your space from art prints to family photos. 

Free Printables

One of my favorite ways to find art is on Pinterest. There are so many artists offering free printables. You can easily browse for free printables based on your style. I found these free boho printables to use in my Ceruse frames. 

Update Photographs

Special moments happen all the time, and now, more than ever, it’s important to highlight them. Swap out the photos currently in your frames with more recent snapshots. Or be sure to incorporate pictures featuring new additions to your family. 

Create Your Own Art

In addition to the DIY projects on our blog, you can also create your own digital prints. With websites like Canva, you can create art without any graphic design experience. 

I used the colors from the free boho printables to create coordinating pieces to replace the art in these Waverly shadow boxes. 

These are just some of the ways you can breathe new life into your space. For more framing tips and tricks, follow along with our blog!

About The Author

Brittany DeMauro is the Creative Director here at CustomPictureFrames.com. With a background in creative writing and a passion for all things DIY, you'll find her in the shop crafting content. She can always find space for a fun gallery wall and loves discovering new artists to display around her home (in custom frames, of course!) When she's not creating content for our brand, she can most likely be found binging shows on Netflix with her two cats.