How to Create a Gallery Wall

Gallery walls can be intimidating. If you’ve ever scrolled past gallery walls on Instagram and thought, “I want one of those,” or you have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to gorgeous galleries, but you’ve been too intimidated to try creating your own, this post is for you!

Step 1: Gather your collection.

A great gallery wall starts with a good collection, so the first thing you need to decide is what you want to showcase. Everything in our home evokes a feeling. Consider what sort of thoughts and ideas you want to express to the people in your home. The fun thing about collecting is that a collection improves over time. As you start to appreciate the details within your collection, you can update it by cycling out lesser quality items with higher quality ones.

Step 2: Find a common thread.

Once you’ve amassed a collection, the next step is to find the common thread. Take a look at what you’ve gathered. Are there any themes running through it? Do you have a ton of ticket stubs to work with, have you been drawn to black and white photography, or a certain medium like oil paintings? If your collection is eclectic and you are having trouble finding the common thread—that’s okay! You can create a common thread to help tie it all together in the way you style each piece—try using all gold frames, all white mats, or all the same-sized frames. 

Step 3: Decide on your layout.

After you’ve gathered your collection and found the common thread, it’s time to decide on the layout. Do you want it to be symmetrical or asymmetrical? Do you want all of the elements spaced identically or do you want a more “added over time” feel, placing things a little more randomly?

To answer these questions, it helps to think about how you want your home to feel. If you want your home to feel creative, maybe you’re going for a scattered asymmetrical look. If you want your home to feel formal and organized, symmetrical may be the style for you.

Swimming in ideas and need to get it out of your head? I love to brainstorm ideas like this on our brain dump notepad!

Lay everything out on the floor and play with it to help you decide how you want it to be arranged. We’ve created a printable for you with five sample layouts – click here to grab it from the shop!

Step 4: Gather your tools.

Now you’re finally ready to get started on the actual picture hanging. First, gather all your tools (and if you need an adorable toolkit to use, click here). You’ll need a hammer, nails, wire, a level, tape, a pencil, and a friend! I also like to use painter’s caulk to fill in old holes, even on colored walls. If the wall is a pale color, you won’t be able to see it if you wipe it off before it dries, and if the wall is a dark color, it can be touched up with a sharpie or paint.

Step 5: To measure, or not to measure, that is the question.

Full disclosure: I don’t measure. Ever. Okay, maybe I have once or twice. But for the most part, I’m a good eye-baller, willing to take a risk, make a mistake, pull the nail, and do it again. However, if you are going for a very symmetrical look, it might be worth taking the time to measure.

Deciding on layout and measuring for your gallery wall can be time-consuming, so make sure you set aside about an hour. Invite a friend over for coffee. It helps to have someone to hold a measuring tape, hand you a nail and a hammer, and take the picture out of your hands when it’s time to put the nail in the wall. And if you’re going to eye-ball, a second opinion is never a bad idea.

If you are a perfectionist, get some old wrapping paper and trace the items you want to hang. Tape these to the wall. You can even nail through the paper and then pull it off before you hang. This takes longer, but might help you feel more comfortable about your gallery wall hanging skills. (Pic credit to BH&G.)

Step 6: Now, break the rules.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Know the rules so you know how to break them.” I’m going to give you a little cheat sheet of a few rules I love to break.

Rule 1: There should always be three inches between items.

• How to break it: Sometimes, you just need to cram it all in. Some items might look better closer together. Trust your eye (you can always try laying things out on the floor before hanging them to get an idea of how they’ll look without having any extra nail holes)! 

Rule 2: Always put your “big rocks” in first—the pieces that will anchor your wall.

• How to break it: If you want to make a square or rectangle out of items that aren’t all identical sizes, you’ll want to start by creating your corners first and filling in from there.

Rule 3: A gallery wall is only made up of photographs or art.

• How to break it: Says who? A gallery wall can have anything you want in it! Try incorporating other items like sconces, plaques, wood or metal carvings, textile hangings, mirrors, or plates. Remember, this is YOUR collection—you can fill it with whatever catches your eye!

That’s it! Now you are ready to create and enjoy your own gorgeous gallery wall—and remember, you can adjust and change it over time as you add to your collection.

Before you run off to start collecting, drop a comment and let me know what you are most excited to include in your own gallery wall!