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Craft: How to create a photo wall

Craft editor Alice Arndell shows how to put your best pictures on show.
How to create a photo wall

There are few things more pleasing than a display of family photos. But it can be a bit daunting to put together, so I’ve created a series of rules to help you.

Make your photo collection look cohesive for a professional finish

  1. Paint your existing frames all the same colour (see the handy hint below), this way you can use any shape or design of frame and it will still look harmonious when hung.

  2. Change all the surrounds (matting) around your photos to the same colour. That way, you can hang colour or black and white photos, or old and new photos all on the same wall.

  3. I bought a pad of A3-sized watercolour paper (the kind artists use to paint on) from my local dollar shop. The pad cost about $12 and was big enough to create matting for photos up to 8” x 10”. I simply traced around the existing matting and cut it out.

Arrange photos symmetrically as it’s more pleasing to the eye

  1. Measure your wall and mark out a space on the ground that is the same size.

  2. Place your largest frame in the middle of the marked out space (this will draw the eye to the middle). If you have two frames you want in the middle, place them either side of an imagined middle line.

  3. Pair each frame up with one of a similar size and arrange them symmetrically around your centre frame. If you have any odd sized or shaped frames, place them to the outside edges of the display.

  4. Use the edges of the frames as cues to line up the next one.

Use a level to make sure each picture you hang is straight.

Hanging your pictures

  1. Use a pencil (or chalk) to mark the middle of the wall and hang up the first picture.

  2. Work your way outwards, adding pictures symmetrically so that you can ensure the space between them is even.

  3. Use a level to make sure each picture is straight.

  4. I used 3M hanging strips to put up my pictures.

Handy Hint: I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White to paint my old frames. I chose this paint because it doesn’t require any prep (no sanding!), is super-easy to apply and dries much faster than regular paint.

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