#135...gallery hanging how to

domino magazine

Gallery style wall groupings are a great way for a lot of smaller photos and artwork to hang together and make a big impact. Symmetrical groupings of same size frames are easy to hang, you just have to do some math and serious measuring; however, asymmetrical groupings that include various frame sizes can be a little bit more tricky to fit together to create a unified statement wall.

Livingetc

Cottage Living

I have hung a few gallery walls, and it took me several tries to figure out some tricks to avoid having a million unwanted holes in the wall that you then have to fill and paint over. The below hanging tips may seem like common sense tips, but are so valuable I thought I'd write them out as a reference for you and for me!

my guest room

1. Gather together the frames that you want to hang
2. Measure the wall that you want to hang on, width and height
3. On the floor, mark out this dimension with painters tape or some books or something that will give you a visual of the space you are working within
4. Starting from somewhere near the center of the space, lay down the frames you have, trying to stagger the edges while keeping the frames only a few inches apart and working outward 
5. If you are using a bunch of open frames (not filled yet) even better, because you are not limited by whether the frame hangs horizontally or vertically (worry about what photo to put in the frame later)
6. Play around with arrangement, trying frames in various directions and in different spots until you are happy with the arrangement
7. You may find during this process, that you need to gather some additional odd sized frames or square frames to help fill in holes created in your frame puzzle
8. Once you are satisfied with how the gallery looks on the floor draw a mini diagram like mine below
9. Now that you have a blueprint, you don't have to worry about getting confused once you start picking them up off the floor and hanging them on the wall
10. Once you've hung all of your frames, if you are lacking artwork or photos, it will be easier to fill in as your already hung frames will dictate the orientation and size of piece you need for each frame.

This diagram turned into this gallery wall in the entry hall of my parent's house