DIY: How to Create a Gallery Wall with Eagle Frames

When you enter your home and sit in your living room, you want it to feel like a nice space. But, do you ever get the itching feeling that it feels empty?

If you enter a room and the first thing in front of you is a blank wall, it’s no wonder your house feels empty.

Your walls, just like the rest of your house, should express your creative side! And those blank walls around you are your canvas to fill.

We know it can be overwhelming to fill up your walls, especially when you’re not the creative type. But the best way to fill up your walls is to create a gallery wall.

A gallery wall is a collection of framed pictures that you hang on your walls. It can be a great way to quickly fill up your walls and beautify your living space with vibrant and contrasting images.

In this post, we’re going to tell you all about planning your own gallery wall with Eagle Frames, installing it, and maintaining it. Follow along and by the end of this post, you’ll have your very own gallery wall you can be proud of!

Planning Your Gallery Wall

As the famous saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

Before you even gather your materials, you need to plan your gallery wall. This includes finding the right inspiration and selecting the right wall to hang your frames.

Finding Inspiration

It’s difficult to come up with something from thin air. That’s why you should explore what’s out there and gather some ideas on how you can design your gallery wall.

The best places to look for ideas are visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. By searching key terms like “gallery walls”, “gallery wall ideas”, etc. you’ll get a bunch of ideas of how to arrange your gallery walls and what kind of frames/prints to use.

Another great source of inspiration are design magazines. If you’re already subscribed to a design magazine then look through some editions and you’ll be able to find some intriguing interior design ideas for your gallery wall. You can also explore digital magazines and potentially some free editions that’ll give you enough ideas to make your DIY gallery wall.

Selecting the Perfect Wall

Once you’ve found some ideas for what your gallery wall is going to look like, it’s time to face that daunting blank wall.

But you can’t just start putting all your frames on any wall! You need to find the right wall to fill up with your DIY gallery wall. Here are some questions to ask yourself when thinking of where to place your frames:

• Is the wall large enough? There’s nothing more annoying than starting to put your frames just to realize that the wall isn’t large enough to fit all your frames.
• Is the background plain and smooth? A patterned or rough background can cause the wall to look too busy and cause the frames to look asymmetrical.
• What room will it be in? The gallery wall should match the theme of the room it’ll be in. You’ll be using different images for your bedroom as compared to your living room.

Once you’ve planned how your gallery wall is going to look and where it’ll go, it’s time to get to the exciting part!

Choosing Your Frames

It can be exciting to finally start putting up the frames on your wall. But don’t get too excited!

Oftentimes people rush getting the frames, not considering the type, size, and quality of the frames. The frame you choose is something you need to pay particular attention to as it can make or break your gallery wall.

Below we discuss in detail what frame to choose and how to match them with your style of artwork.

Frame Material and Style

When looking which type of frame you need for your gallery wall, you need to look at mainly two things: material and style.

You primarily have three materials to choose from:

• Wood - a wooden frame provides you with the best balance between beauty and durability. Its natural ridges provide it with a unique look that enhances your artwork. We suggest using Eagle Frames wooden frames that provide the best quality and design for your gallery walls. It also comes in multiple sizes allowing you to add variety to your wall.
• Metal - metal frames provide a sleek and modern look for your artwork. These metal frames are made of aluminum or steel and can be customised with engravings for some added effect. They’re great for minimalist and contemporary artworks and stand out if you don’t plan on hanging too many frames for your gallery wall.
• Acrylic - acrylic frames also known as plexi frames are often used for larger artworks. These frames are shatter-proof, durable and versatile. Its main drawback is that it’s prone to scratching, which could reduce the appeal of your gallery frame overtime.

From the above options, we recommend using Eagle Frames’ wooden frames for your wall. Not only are the frames durable, offering enhanced protection from humidity, dust, and UV-rays. They not only last longer, but give off a stylish look which goes well with most artworks.

Matching Frames with Art

The frames you choose need to complement the kind of image you want them to hold. This will further improve the aesthetics of your gallery wall and make your pictures stand out.

When choosing your frame the type you choose should match the art it’ll hold whether it be photographs, prints, or original artwork. Here’s some advice on how to choose a frame that works with, rather than against, your art:

• Wooden frames work well for traditional artworks and still life images. They’re also great for landscape shots, especially images depicting nature scenes. Wooden frames work well with these as the natural wood texture complements the image. It’s also great for photographs as it gives you a nice balanced look - perfect for a gallery wall.
• Metal frames are great if you're aiming for a minimalistic look for your gallery wall. These frames look sleek and modern, making them perfect for contemporary artwork or even many prints. If you’re hanging something in black and white, then metal frames make them standout even more.
• Finally, acrylic frames are often a good choice for larger artwork for the protection they provide. These frames can also easily be found in multiple color options, allowing you greater flexibility in matching them with your art or overall theme of your room.

A general tip other than the above is to choose a frame that matches the subject matter of your art, photo, or print. This means if you’re working with a more traditional piece, then choosing a traditional style frame like natural wood may be better than metal.

Designing Your Gallery Wall

Till now, your wall is still a blank canvas. This leaves you with dozens of possibilities to arrange your gallery wall in any shape, place, or form.

When designing your wall, the main thing you need to focus on is the arrangement and alignment of the pieces.

Placing all your frames in a straight line can seem a bit bland but at the same time, having them all over the place can make it look messy.

So, to design the perfect gallery wall, you want to aim for a visually balanced look.

Creating a Visual Balance

Techniques for achieving a visually appealing balance using different frame sizes and art types.

You need to make sure that all your frames come together to achieve a nice balance that’s pleasing to the eye, otherwise your gallery wall will just look like it wasn’t planned right.

So, how do you create a visual balance? Here are some ways to brainstorm the layout of your gallery frame:

• Use varying sizes: having a mix of different sized frames can help complement your frames. To achieve a nice harmony within the frames you need to balance your small frames with any bigger ones.
• Let your frames breathe: If you don’t plan out your frames properly, you’ll risk placing them too close together, which would make your wall look busy and congested. Instead allow around 2-3 inches of space between frames for a neat look.
• Decide on symmetry: symmetrical patterns such as grids are great for achieving a balanced look. You can visualize a grid and place each frame within it. But you don’t always have to play by the rules! For a more dynamic look you can also experiment with assymetrical layouts to achieve a more unique gallery frame.
• Coordinate the colors: If you’re using colored frames, it’s a good idea to use different colors for each frame and make them work well together. You can use colors that contrast each other so each individual frame stands out, or you can choose colors that complement each other for a harmonious look.
• Align them aright: you should try to fill up your entire wall with images each with different alignments and orientations. This means mixing together portrait and landscape images together to achieve a more balanced look. You also shouldn’t place your frames all williy nilly. Visualize the central point of your gallery wall and expand your horizon from there, gradually adding a frame to the right, left, top, and bottom from the axis point.

We know that it can be difficult to visualize exactly how you want your gallery wall to look. That’s why it’s useful to visually layout your designs in front of you before you start placing your frames so that you get your gallery wall right the first time.

Arrangement Patterns

Different layout patterns like grid, salon, or linear arrangements explained with examples.

You can use a digital mockup tool like Photopea (free) or paper cut-outs to visualize your layouts - but how do you actually arrange your pieces?

There are three primary layout patterns for your gallery walls:

• Grid
• Salon
• Linear

Let’s discuss these in a bit more detail.

Grid

Grids help achieve a balanced and uniformed look for your gallery wall. This layout pattern involves arranging your images in a symmetrical pattern with a combination of horizontal and vertical layouts. Using a grid is great for modern, minimalist layouts and could include you symmetrically hanging multiple prints or photographs.

Here’s an example of a grid layout:

Salon

A salon or eclectic layout can give your gallery wall a dynamic look. In a salon layout, the way you arrange your images is random but visually balanced at the same time. This effect is usually achieved due to mixing up the theme and sizes of your frames. This layout will typically cover your entire wall and is meant to feel dynamic and rich.

Here’s an example of a salon layout:

Linear

Linear layouts are the simplest of them all. A linear layout is when you arrange all your images in a straight line, whether vertical or horizontal. Don’t confuse this with a grid layout where the images are arranged in a combination of both vertical and horizontal images. This layout works great for narrow spaces, such as hallways or along staircases, and offers a clean, modern look.

Here’s an example of a linear layout:

Installation Tips

You’ve finally completed the planning phase!!

By this step, you should have your frames together and a strong idea of how you want your gallery wall to look as well as the layout pattern it needs to follow.

Now, it’s time to finally install it on your wall.

Tools and Equipment Needed

List the tools and equipment necessary for installing a gallery wall, including levelers, hooks, and hammers.

To hang your frames, you need to gather the proper tools and equipment for a secure and sturdy fit. The tools you’ll need are:

• Measuring tape
• Pencil/pen
• Hammer
• Nails
• Hooks
• Leveler

The measuring tape will be used for spacing the frames appropriately and a pencil is used to mark all the places you’ll be hammering the nails/hooks. Hooks will be used for heavier or larger frames whereas nails are fine for standard picture frames. Most people try to skip on a leveler, but don’t make this mistake! A leveler is crucial for making sure your images are aligned properly and is far better than relying on guesswork.

Hanging Techniques

Now it’s time to explore the various techniques to securely hang your frames. You may want to choose one that best suits the types of frames/images you’re using and the material you have avaliable.

Here are the different ways you can hang your frames for your gallery wall:

• Traditional hooks and nails: most frames come with some kind of attachment piece such as a thread or hook on the back. For these frames the ideal way is to drive a nail or hook into the wall and hang them using that attachment piece.
• D-rings and hanging wire: if your frame doesn’t have any hardware on the back, you can attach a d-ring on the back of the frame, then run a hanging wire between it. Then drive a nail or hook into the wall and hang your image using the wire. This is great for heavier and larger frames.
• Command strips: command strips work like double-sided tape. These are thick adhesive strips where one attaches to the back of the frame and the other is placed firmly on the wall. You then press these pieces together and the frame sticks securely in place. This is perfect for damage-free hanging as you don’t have to drive any nails into the wall. Be careful though, as these strips are used for lighter frames, to know how much weight they can handle, check the guidelines that come with the strips.

Tip: Always make sure to use a leveler for each frame you hang to ensure it is correctly positioned!

How to Install Your Gallery Wall (Step-by-Step)

Now let’s look at how to install your gallery wall, step-by-step:

1. Plan the layout: If you’ve been following along then you’ve already done this. But to get a final look place all your frames on the floor and arrange them together in the way you’ll place them on the wall.
2. Measure the placements: Use your measuring tape and pencil to measure the space between frames as well as how much space each frame would take on the wall. Then draw a line on the corners of the frame to ensure accuracy.
3. Use a leveler: Before installing the frame, level the rough markings you’ve made to ensure you haven’t placed any marks incorrectly and that the alignment of all the markings are correct.
4. Install hooks and nails: Depending on your hanging technique, drive the nails and hooks in the places you’ve marked or attach the command strip in the middle or top of each placement.
5. Hang your frames: With the nails, hooks, or strips in place, it’s time to hang your frames on them. Make sure the frame is properly placed according to the marks you made and are secured. If you’re using a hanging wire double-check to see if it’s properly secured.
6. Adjust the frames: After hanging all the frames, make sure they are all levelled properly using a leveler and ensure all of them are straight and evenly spaced.

Maintenance and Upkeep

Once you’ve created your gallery wall, give yourself a pat on the back, you’ve earned it!

But the work’s never done. After placing your pictures, you need to maintain them regularly to ensure the aesthetics of the gallery wall are sustained.

Cleaning and Care

You’ll need to regularly clean your frames so that it doesn’t attract dust. For cleaning make sure to:

• Use a soft, dry dust cloth to remove the dust from the frames. Make sure not to use water as it may dampen the frames or cause warping due to the moisture. Also you should use a microfiber cloth if you can for best results.
• For glass frames, use a glass-cleaning solution. Don’t apply it directly on the glass but dab it on your dusting cloth and use it to clean the glass to prevent any strokes from appearing.
• Finally, the type of frame also affects your cleaning technique. For metal frames use a damp cloth to first clean the frames then a dry cloth to dry off any excess moisture which could cause the frame to rust. For wooden frames like those offered by Eagle Frames you need to use a wood-specific cleaner or polish to maintain that stylish shine and wooden finish.

Cleaning the frame isn’t the only thing to focus on. The artwork within your frames is also important to protect from humidity, temperature, and UV-light exposure to protect it from warping and fading.

Updating Your Gallery Wall

You can run out of walls but you can never run out of pictures to hang! If you’re into interior designing, then there’s nothing you’d love more than exploring newer pieces to keep your gallery wall looking fresh.

For this, it’s important to update your gallery wall. You don’t want to overdo it though as changing your frames every week or two can cause your frames to build up and start collecting dust in your store or attic. We went through all that pre-planning before setting up your gallery wall to prevent exactly that!

But not refreshing your wall for years can cause boredom overtime. Updating your wall after a 6-12 months seems fine, and updating it every year by either by adding or replacing an image or two from your wall is ideal.

When planning to update your wall, make sure to do it gradually. Try replacing a picture or two and make it complement or contrast with all the other images on your gallery wall to keep it visually balanced. Or instead you can decide on a theme beforehand and then replace all your images together with the new theme.

FAQs

How to Choose the Right Frame Size?

You should chose a frame size Eagle Frames provides its wooden frames in standard sizes of A2, A3, and A4 which give you the best variety for creating a bunch of creative yet distinct layouts for your gallery wall. You can also check out our detailed guide on choosing the perfect picture frame size for a complete overview of all your options.

What's the Best Way to Arrange Frames on a Wall?

Teh best way to arrange your walls is by visualising a central axis or anchor point in the middle of your wall and then start building your gallery outwards from that. So the middle will be your starting point and then you slowly expand the horizon of your gallery wall by adding frames on the right, left, top, and bottom. You can also use digital mockup tools or paper templates to better visualize what the arrangement would look like.

How Often Should I Update My Gallery Wall?

You can update your gallery whenever you acquire new photos or artwork that you want to hang on your wall. Also, whenever you change the decor of your house is also a good time to refresh your gallery wall to make it reflect the vibes of your new interior. Once or twice a year is the ideal time to update your gallery wall.