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Gallery walls tend to add so much character, and statement to a room. I’ve always loved them for that reason alone, but they can also be so meaningful when you’re adding family photos to them.

I have always wanted to have a gallery wall but the task always seemed a little daunting. What size frames? Mating? Photo size? It all seemed overwhelming. I was so excited when I found Custom Photo Frames because they took all of those worries right away! I shared my vision, and they helped me through every step with ordering. I wanted my frames to make a statement and have a timeless look. They helped me bring that to life. I had never actually had any family photos printed before, so these were going to be so special to me. We usually moved around a good bit so I never felt like hanging a bunch of photos. Now I wish I had!

I had a photo of a friend’s gallery wall I loved so I used that as an idea, so that is how I picked my sizes. For my moulding, I chose a wood color that would blend well with the rest of my decor, and next I picked the hardware for the back. I chose hanging wire since I figured that would be the easiest in the hanging process.

When the frames arrived I got to work with the help of my family. I ordered a hanging tool which was a huge help in hanging them. Ahead of time, I had cut out pieces of paper that were the same size as my frames so I could get an idea of how I wanted them positioned so there was less work. I left the pieces of paper up on the wall until we measured the space to make sure they were all even in terms of spacing. I used a level to ensure all the photos were straight once they were hung. 

This gallery wall pulls my entire living space together in such a special way. Not only are they a design statement, but they have such special memories displayed in them. I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out! 

About The Author

Meet Cari or @lovinglittlehalls on Instagram —She lives in Middle Georgia with her sweet family of 4! She is married to her husband JJ of 5 years and is mama to Lilah Grey (2) & Rowan Thane (1). She is a lover of home decor, photography, and wellness. On her blog, you’ll get glimpses into her crazy life raising two babies less than two years apart. They aren’t perfect but they love Jesus, they are full of love, and a whole lotta coffee!

When you can’t decide between a picture frame or shelf for your wall space, consider doing a combination of both! This unique DIY helps declutter your tabletop and showcase your collections in a fun way. The wide moulding and rustic metallic façade of the Dakota shadowbox really glams up even the most dreary of spaces. See how this DIY Shelf Frame is the perfect way to blend art and function using a beautiful shadowbox as the base using our tutorial. 

Supplies:

• (2) 6” x 9” Dakota Shadowbox Frames
• Scrap Wood
• Acrylic paint – white, champagne gold metallic
• Paintbrush
• Heavy-duty adhesive, like E6000
• Foam Core or thin scrap of wood

First, determine which way you want to hang your frames. Cut scrap pieces of wood to fit inside each frame. We chose to hang one frame vertically and one horizontally so our wood pieces for the shelves measured 3.5” x 5.5” and 3.5” x 8.375”.

Paint your scrap pieces of wood with a layer of white paint then top that with a champagne gold metallic paint. Tip: Consider using a contrasting paint color to bring in a pop of color on your wall!

We found that a small piece of foam core was needed inside the shadowbox in order to make the shelf fit flush when inside the frame. Cut and adhere this piece in place then adhere the wood shelf on top, making the end flush with the inside edge of the shadowbox. We recommend a heavy-duty adhesive, like E6000.

To hang, hammer in a sawtooth hanger on the back or Command strips made for a heavy weight since these will be shelves holding additional weight.

Fill your shelves with whatever trinkets, treasures or collections you wish!

Now all your items are easily accessible in reach but aren’t taking up space in your bathroom, office, or bedroom space.

Consider mixing in DIY shelf frames with traditional framed art for a unique gallery wall option!

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.

When it comes to customizing your picture frames, there are a lot of options to consider. Picking the perfect frame style for your image or space is important but it's only one part of the custom framing puzzle! The glazing, or glass, you choose to finish your custom picture frame with can have a huge impact on the finished look.

Let's talk about your options! We offer frame-grade acrylic to complete your picture frames and shadow boxes. This acrylic is lightweight and offers UV protection for your photographs, art and keepsakes. It's the reason we're able to keep costs low and frames light for easy hanging!

There are two options available when selecting your frame's glazing: standard acrylic and non-glare acrylic. While both options provide the same protection and lightweight finish to your frame, there is a noticeable difference in how your images will look paired with each option.

To help you choose the right acrylic for your picture frame, we thought it would be best to put our standard acrylic and non-glare acrylic to the test side-by-side. And even we were shocked by the results.

You might remember this eclectic gallery wall by Shelley from Crazy Wonderful. We asked her to shoot the same frames in the same spot swapping out our acrylic options.

The standard acrylic will get you a classic finish. Your photographs or art prints will stay protected behind the clear surface. Crisp and clear, you'll have yourself a stunning display. However, the reflective surface won't showcase your images the best from all angles or in all spaces.

As you can see in these side-by-side comparisons, the standard acrylic reflects everything whereas the non-glare acrylic is reflection-free from all angles.

Now that we understand the differences between our acrylic options, which should you choose?

There's no wrong answer here. Both of our frame-grade acrylics are perfect for completing your custom frames. It just depends on two things: personal preference and where you'll be displaying your frame.

As you can see from Shelley's pictures, here gallery wall is across from windows. No matter which way the windows face, there will be a reflection in the standard acrylic. However the more direct sunlight they'll get the harsher the glare will be.

Non-glare acrylic helps to minimize those reflections. The overall finish is more matte and flat. When installed correctly, you'll have a crystal clear display without a glare. So if you're considering displaying your new custom frames across from windows, the non-glare option is a perfect choice! (Because of the material, we can only offer non-glare acrylic in picture frames and not our shadow boxes as well.)

We hope this helped shed some light on our glazing options. For more information about our acrylic and materials, you can visit our materials page. And for any questions you might have when customizing your frames, our customer service team is here to help!

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.

When it comes to modern parties, everyone has a cell phone in hand ready to capture beautiful selfies and group shots to post on the ‘gram. If you’re in charge of the next bridal shower, birthday bash, or Mother’s Day photo session, glam up the photo booth area with a floral frame you can DIY to fit any party vibe.  The ornate pattern of the Aurora frame is the perfect base for this DIY floral project that guests can hold and be the center of attention… literally.  Read on to discover more tips, tricks, and inspiring alternatives to make this photo booth worthy of all the likes.

Supplies:

• 24 x 20” Aurora frame
• Artificial flowers
• Hot Glue Gun
• Scrap cardboard
• Scissors

This frame screams modern vintage with the intricate pattern and aged paint application making it the perfect space for floral accents.  The 1 3/8” width of this regal frame allows for some space to add accessories but you still might need a little extra surface space.

First, rack your brain for those geometry skills and create two right triangles from heavyweight cardboard. Flip your frame over and use hot glue to adhere them in two opposite corners of the frame.

Next, pop the heads and leaves off the stem set.

Many of these flowers will come off easily and intact but they are not always flat due to the hard centers. If yours are dimensional flowers, like these, punch a hole in the cardboard where you can insert the flowers.

Use hot glue to adhere these flowers in the holes on the cardboard. We chose 3 floral clusters in one corner and 2 on the other.

Finally, spend some time layering the leaves under the flowers to cover any of the cardboard pieces that were exposed and add some greenery to the frame.

Remember: just because you have more, doesn’t mean you have to use it all! Do what looks best to your eye, not what’s in your supply!

Tip: Don’t cover up too much of the frame on the sides to allow adequate space for guests to handle the frame with ease and not wrinkle the accessories.

Using a rectangular shaped frame allows for a photo booth that is both horizontal for two friends or vertical for single selfies.

Optional: If your venue is outdoors of you have access to an overhead beam or rail, consider hanging this frame so guests walk up to it for photos versus holding it in their hands.

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.

Love the look of an indoor garden but have a black thumb? Create your own Vertical Succulents Garden to bring a little greenery indoors without the worry of killing another plant. Succulents naturally grow in dry, desert areas but when they’re of the faux variety, you can care for them in any environment. The brilliant colors and unique designs of your succulent assortment are bound to stand out inside the natural wood detailing of the Holden picture frame. The 1 ¼” moulding creates a border around this rainbow of ornamental plants making it the perfect wall accessory to liven up your office space!

Supplies:

• 11 x 6” Holden Frame 
• Faux Succulent Picks
• Foam sheet
• Hot Glue
• Dried moss
• Serrated Knife

To create this DIY Vertical Succulents Garden Frame, first, use a serrated knife to cut your foam sheet to fit within your frame. Use hot glue to secure in place.

Arrange your succulent plants within this framed space in your desired arrangement. If they’re colorful, consider creating an ombre rainbow effect! Insert these into the foam, using more hot glue to secure.

Don’t feel like you need to cover the full space. Attach dried moss to any exposed areas to cover the foam and create a dessert oasis effect to your frame.

To hang, attach the sawtooth hanger to the back of the frame and display it in your office space!

Now when you’re stuck working the good old 9 to 5 in your cold office environment, you can look over and admire a little bit of the outdoors in your newly created vertical succulents garden.

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.