How To Create A DIY-Gallery Wall For Your Living Room
So you know it's bad when your Daughter says "Mommy why aren't there any pictures of me on the walls?" Especially when this is the child who has had 11 professional photo sessions with "Best of Bethesda" photographer Kyung Jung of Yellowhale photography. Honestly, it is so embarrassing. I don't know how many excuses I can make...but here is a brief list:
We moved twice in 2 years!
So many pictures, which should I choose?
What frames & layout will work best?
How much will it cost? Is it on budget?
But the truth is, it just hasn't been a priority. In the midst of all the things I have to get done as a mom of 3 little ones & trying to grow a small business, am I the only one out there who feels this way? I think it is funny because I work with people everyday and I urge my clients to prioritize these special moments in life & here I am just holding on.
Well, my oldest child, Ever Monet, turned 6 years old earlier this month. Yup, after a lot of back and forth I decided to host FIFTEEN 6-year old girls for a make-up & dress-up party in my little Bethesda rancher. Great idea! So cute right? Well, the night before the party it hit me...I can't have all these people in my house & not have 1 picture of my kids on the wall. Seriously?
Fast, Cheap Gallery Wall
First of all, if you know me, you know I am not DIY. I believe in paying professionals to do what they do best. Yes, I went to Michael's @ 8PM the night before my daughter's party and didn't have enough time to call my girl Meredith Forte of Frame Avenue to come over & work her magic. With the party only hours away, panic set in. Where to start? How to pull it off? Where to get frames? How to print the photos?
Step #1: Choose photographs:
So, like I said earlier, I have been privileged to have had several cool photo shoots. I am beyond grateful to have these memories preserved. If you haven't carved out room in your schedule or budget for it, make it happen. IT IS SO IMPORTANT. The package I have with Kyung allows me to have Maternity, Newborn, 6 months & 1 year. I chose one photo from each session for each kid. And one oversized family shot & 2 pictures with all 3 siblings together. The pics I selected are below:
Ever Monet
Winter Danyeil
Ford Weston
Step #2: Choose Your Frames:
Frames are key to the overall look of the gallery wall. I wanted a clean, modern ,minimalist look. I chose all white, non-matted frames. I really wanted the pictures to take center stage. My girlfriend Brandan, always said "just go to Michaels." So I took a late night trip there and chose "Display Case" style frames to add a sense of depth. Each kid would have a standard 8x10 frame, a square 8x8 frame, then one oversized 11x14. Now, I will say these are not the best quality of frames. Way too cheap. Eventually, they will need to be replaced for long-term preservation.
Step #3: Print Photos
The hardest part(s) were done--pictures & frames were chosen. There was no time left to order online. Where in the world could I print quickly? Did you know your local FedEx office can print oversized high quality photos? What a great, quick and efficient resource! The approximate costs for the sizes I needed were: 16x20-$32 11x14-$20 8x10-$14 8x8-$13
Step #4: Choose your layout.
There are so many ways to create the perfect gallery wall layout. I immediately went to the Frame Ave Blog for a point of reference. I know I wanted to keep it simple and clean, not overly organized, but more free flowing & random with a little bit of symmetry. The pictures below are samples of what I wanted to achieve.
Step #5: Get to hanging.
Before & After
Okay, I did this! SUCCESS
