| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
You’ve decorated the living room, figured out how to arrange your bedroom, and put everything in its proper place in the kitchen… yet your walls are bare. Not to mention the fact that you don’t have any artwork to display. Fortunately, there is a cost-effective way to decorate. I’ve gathered some inspiration for the ultimate budget-friendly gallery wall that will appear attractive and well-organized – not cluttered – and will complement whichever location you choose to use it in.
Hit the Thrift Store
Thrift stores are treasure chests full of undiscovered gems. Picture frames and exquisite artwork are likely to be found well below your budget. Clothing and fabric can be recycled as art pieces, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just one section of the store either.
Use Wire Grids
They’re adaptable, unobtrusive, and, most importantly, affordable. You can hang anything (as long as it’s not too heavy), from newspaper or magazine clippings to Polaroids and maps on wire grids.
Get Creative With Texture
There’s no rule that a gallery wall has to be flat. Make a nature-inspired mobile out of rocks, twigs, or leaves. You can also create your own artwork by pressing flowers and leaves from your garden. If you have attractive plates, hang them on the wall to show them off. If those aren’t your taste, consider patterned baskets, which will give your space a boho feel.
Make Use of Stuff From Your Closet
If you have a collection of hats, this is the perfect opportunity to show them off. Straw and floppy hats can create a boho look, whilst darker and muted hats have a more elegant vibe, depending on your wardrobe. If you prefer scarves and shawls, you can hang them or drape them across the wall to create a rainbow of hues.
Wall Hanging Hacks
Once you have decided just what your gallery wall(s) are going to be made up of, you do have to hang them, and in doing so make sure that everything is straight and secure. Which can be very tricky.
To help you, Follow our step-by-step instructions for arranging, and mounting your gallery wall.
What You Need
- Artwork Pencil
- Kraft paper
- Scissors or a crafts knife
- Painters tape
- Hammer Nails or picture hangers
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Level
- Double-sided adhesive tape, such as Command strips, or adhesive hook-and-loop tape, such as Velcro
Step 1: Trace and Test
The most difficult aspect of installing a gallery wall is deciding where to place the artwork. Establish your gallery wall arrangement before doing anything else. Begin by tracing each piece of art onto kraft paper and cutting it out. Mark the location of the picture’s hanger on each piece of paper. When hanging your art at the proper height, this will come in helpful. Hang each cutout on your wall with painters tape to get a sense for the layout.
Start by hanging the largest object at eye level when planning your gallery wall layout. The artwork should be hung 57″ from the ground in the center. The height at which you hang art, however, will be determined by the height of your ceilings and the height of your furniture. Choose large-scale art that spans more of your wall if your ceilings are high. If you’re hanging a gallery wall above a sofa or a tall piece of furniture, make sure to adjust the height. The use of floor-to-ceiling gallery walls can also make an impact. Rearrange the cutouts of your pieces until you discover a layout you like, once you’ve determined where and at what height to hang your art.
Step 2: Keep It Even
A successful wall gallery maintains an equal distance between the art and the viewer. Use a ruler to help you put your items. 3–6 inches between each piece of wall art and around the sides of the frames is a good rule of thumb. Arrange larger works of art with more space between frames, while smaller works of art should be grouped together. Make sure there’s enough space between the frames, trim, and molding to allow the gallery to breathe. If your gallery wall includes oddly shaped artifacts, you can skip this step and simply eyeball the layout to see what works best for you.
It’s not necessary for your gallery wall to be symmetrical, but it should have some sense of balance. Large wall art should be paired with a few smaller pieces, or elaborate wall paintings should be balanced with empty frames. If your gallery has a mix of styles, colors, and finishes, attempt to spread the art styles apart to achieve balance.
Step 3: Start in the Center
Place a strip of painters tape on the wall to indicate the top of the object before clearing it out of the way if you’re hanging your gallery wall over a sofa or furniture piece. You’ll need to anchor heavier items like mirrors or huge frames to wall studs if you’re hanging them. Find and mark your studs first, then plan your layout around the larger things.
Use a hammer to fasten a nail or picture hanger through your designated placement on the kraft paper when you’re ready to begin hanging the photo frame arrangement. Place your first piece of wall art décor on the nail after removing the paper and tape. Before continuing, double-check the level. Repeat with the rest of your artwork, starting with the largest and working your way down to the smallest.
There are hanging options if you don’t want to make a hole in your wall. Switching art is simple with adhesive hook-and-loop strips. To keep them steady, cut them in half and place them on the bottom of each art piece. Do consider the drawbacks of using adhesive wall hangers though. Any adhesive strip or hook has a weight limit and is typically used for light goods like canvases or small frames. You can now buy heavier duty options, just make sure you read the packaging specifications to help ensure you’re buying the right ones?
Need help with Houston home decorating, or Houston home organization? Why not book a 15-minute Zoom call here (it’s free!) so we can discuss how Just Organized by Taya can help.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
- How Decluttering and Organizing a Kids’ Closet Can Benefits Parents & Kids - March 13, 2025
- How to Create and Organize a Foyer Space in a Home That Doesn’t Have One - March 10, 2025
- Top 10 Things to Declutter If You Have a Spare 30 Minutes - March 5, 2025
