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How to Make a Gallery Wall with Family Photos

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ByMarty Walden

Complete tutorial on how to make a gallery wall with family photos with everything you need to know from layout to choosing frames, pictures, words or inspiration.

Wall and Idea

We have transformed several areas of our home in the last three months and I want to start out sharing the one that tickles me the most.

When I first started transforming our home a few years ago I was enthralled by Pinterest and created too many boards to count.

I still use it to organize my ideas but the inspiration for my project is found here. I was totally enthralled with the details on how to make a gallery wall in our den.

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

Step 1: Collect Frames and Paint

Since I am a yard saler/cheapskate thrifter I began by collecting frames from around the house and up in my personal store, otherwise known as the attic.

I had no idea how I would do the arrangement but I got enough frames to use 4×6, 5×7 and 8×10 black and white pictures.

Whenever Walgreens had a sale on prints (or a free offer) I would order more black and whites in various sizes.

I did NOT think through where everything would go and in which frame ahead of time. I just ordered pictures I liked or ones that would give me some variety.

My husband spray painted the frames with an aerosol primer and white spray paint. He even sprayed some of the mats. The additional mats I bought half off at Michael’s.

This process of ordering pictures and gathering the frames was time consuming, lasting over a few weeks. It was a little tedious. Okay, very tedious.

Step 2: Layout on Floor or Flat Surface

I then started randomly inserting pics in frames and created an arrangement on the kitchen floor where I could get an idea what I still needed and which frames I would be working with.

Text and Wall

Step 3: Hang Frames

For this wall the most important part was deciding on the center frame which contained three 8×10’s. My husband centered this on the wall and just started randomly hanging the rest.

There are certainly more precise ways to go about this but we knew we didn’t want a symmetrical grouping.

A living room filled with furniture and a fire place

Step 4: Decide on Words/Saying

On a sheet of paper I laid out the “family is” phrase and loosely diagrammed the frames.

I enlisted my family to give me words they felt described our family. I then sketched the words around the frames. (None of this was done in precise measurements….obviously.) You can tell by the sketch that I later moved words around.

A close up of a whiteboard

As the weeks passed while I was working on this project I was also buying white vinyl for my Cricut, using coupons, of course, from various craft stores around town.

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Step 5: Use Diecutting Machine to Cut out Words

The part I dreaded most and kept putting off was the final step of cutting the words out with my Cricut Expression.

 

Using the 12×24 cutting mat, I chose one word and font (cartridge) at a time.

I measured in between the frames to get an idea of the size I would need. However, the size is relative when using the Cricut so I cut out each word from cardstock first to make sure they would fit in the allotted space. I also kept a list of which fonts and sizes I used so I wouldn’t duplicate them.

A close up of text on a whiteboard

Step 6: Attach to Wall

Next I used masking tape to align the words on the wall as I was deciding where to place them. I loved the flexibility of moving the words around to find the best look.

A living room
A group of people posing for a photo

I let my husband do the actual work of attaching the vinyl  since he is much more of a perfectionist than I am and is also better at detail work.

He found this little gadget that was an amazing help. It’s a laser level that mounts to the wall with removable adhesive tape and projects up to a 15 ft. laser line. Lining up the words….easy peasy.

A close up of a helmet

A man standing in a room
A man standing in front of a television playing a video game
A man standing in a room

 
Peeling the transfer paper off the vinyl word.

 Our family motto is “families are forever.

A painting hanging on a wall

My husband using the bone folder to attach the vinyl to the wall.

 
The finished product! I had such a hard time photographing this wall without a glare.

Timeline
A painting on the wall

Total cost of my Gallery Wall

Estimated: $75

Includes laser level, frames, mats, black and white photos, spray paint and primer, vinyl and transfer paper.

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112 Comments

  4. Hi Marty! Oh, this turned out WONDERFUL! I love the wall. And you did it on such a great budget!Thank you for sharing with us at TTF. Have a great day!

    Reply

  5. I absolutely love your gallery wall. Love the white against the warm wall color, love the words and love the layout of the frames. I need to get a little bolder and think outside of the symmetrical box. Thanks for inspiring!

    Sharon @ mrs. hines class

    Reply

  7. Wow, that is one substantial gallery wall! It looks great. I love that you made your own vinyl cutouts too (makes me want a Cricut!). I added a gallery wall down our stairwell last fall – it’s amazing how much more “personal” it makes the space feel! Great job!

    Visiting from the Making Monday Marvelous party. 🙂

    Reply

  13. What a great wall!! I love it!! I am getting ready to do one…it’s kind of scary, lol! I don’t want to get it wrong! I am your newest follower! I would love it if you would link it up today at my linky party! I also have a Blog Hop still going on from Tuesday! Hope to see you there!
    kim@madeinady
    http://madeinaday.com

    Reply

  18. Looks great! DD2 did a gallery wall, but did not include words. We used the brown paper method to hang pictures. Thanks for sharing on Met Monday.

    Allison
    Atticmag

    Reply

  19. I absolutely love it, it’s so beautiful! I love your gallery wall and the whole space! Love the idea of adding the words!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!! :o)

    Reply

  22. Oh wow, isn’t this a spectacular wall. I love the addition of the vinyl. Thanks so much for sharing at our party this week.

    Reply