Filling a big empty wall on a budget

Update: Check out my new site Shapingthenest.com for an updated version of this post. I added lots of info on how to make your wall budget friendly!


One of my favorite things to do till fill an empty wall is to do a gallery wall of pictures. As I mentioned last week I had plans to do that behind our sofa.

Here are the results:

Obviously, I have a few more frames to fill with prints but I'm happy with the arrangement. And I got the new lamps I needed too. I love them so far. They on sale for much cheaper in the store but I got them here.

And a close up. You may see that something on my mirror. Yes, those are Army men. Cruz added his own little touch and I couldn't take them down yet.

Normally, my method for gallery walls is to cut out several scrap pieces of paper the same size of the frames. Then I arrange them on the wall using tape. It's very forgiving because you can arrange a bunch and there are no holes in the wall. After you like the design, hang your frames right over the paper. It's easy!

This time around though, my frames are way bigger and it would have taken a ton of paper to use the method above.  So I hung as I went. It was difficult. There are lots of different ways to hang a gallery wall. But, I do have a few tips that have worked for me on making it look put together. These are for if you do the random frame method like me.

#1 Hang your biggest frames toward the center of your arrangement. Smaller ones on the outside.
#2 Balance. It's hard to describe exactly how to do that as a lot time you just have to use your own intuition.
#3 Find an inspiration picture.
#4 Space your frames somewhat evenly.
#5 Go for a theme.

Obviously, none of those are hard fast rules but it's a good starting point to work from. 

Here's another arrangement I did at our old house.

And some of my favorite inspiration.

 
 The inspiration for the arrangement in our first house. Source


A formal arrangement. Source

 

A great way to disguise a TV a bit. Source