Maybe Matilda: Photo Gallery Wall and Clothesline Picture Frame

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Photo Gallery Wall and Clothesline Picture Frame

Alternate title: Does Somebody Live Here?! (This is what I imagine all our neighbors/visitors saying when they enter our home since we're just now, 5 months after moving in, hanging things on the walls. Slowly but surely, our place is starting to look inhabited. Decorating extraordinaires, I tell you.)

I've wanted to try out a photo gallery wall for a while--I figured I better jump on that bandwagon before it rolls out of town--but wasn't really sure I could pull it off. I like the idea of a gallery wall, but to be honest, I'm not insane about most of the gallery walls I see. I often think they look kind of hodge-podgey and random, which is how I was sure mine would look, if I tried it.

Lucky for me, my mom is an interior designer and helped me pinpoint what I liked about some displays and didn't like about others. The gallery walls I like best are mostly symmetrical and seem to have a theme--all the photos are edited in a similar fashion, have matching/coordinating frames, and are hung in a very methodical way rather than just plunked wherever on the walls.

I decided to try out a modified, miniature gallery wall . . . kind of a baby step toward a gallery wall, if you will.
I ordered the photos through Shutterfly, and I'm so happy with how they came out! The photos themselves look beautiful, and they were affordable and shipped very quickly. Plus, as a new member of their site, I got 50 free 4x6 prints--nice!

I had a really hard time choosing which photos to have printed as 8x10s, and realized along the way that I need to be able to change the look of the display when I inevitably get bored with it. I remembered seeing a few clothesline type frames on Pinterest--like this one and this--and decided to incorporate one into my display in the hopes that it would keep it from looking overly organized/stuffy and give me a little freedom to change it later on.

How fun is that? Now I can easily swap out the photos if I want something new to stare at. For all the times I'm just, you know, sitting around staring at the walls.

I just bought the biggest frame at the thrift store I could find and tossed out the artwork, glass, and backing (I'm sure the art world felt the blow when I chucked the log cabin/bear drinking from a lake print that haunted this frame). A few coats of red paint, and it had the look I was going for. I just cut two lengths of twine a few inches longer than the frame and hot glued them to the back, bought a package of teensy clothespins from Joann, and struggled to pick my favorite pictures to hang inside. The total cost of this clothesline frame project was seriously like $7, photos included. (And the black frames are the IKEA cheapies at like $2 apiece--so this entire display was something like $30. Not bad, not bad at all.)
Never would I have predicted getting so many awesome pictures from a photo shoot--my photographer buddy Erica is amazing, I tell you. If you're in the Quad Cities, I would highly recommend her.
And I think it would be a disservice to humanity if I didn't give you a little closeup of one of my favorite photos in this display:
LOOK AT THAT CHILD! I'm not going to lie here, folks. If he weren't mine, I might seriously consider kidnapping him.

Overall, I'm happy with my gallery wall. But I have a few concerns. My interior decorator mama wasn't here to help me when I put it all together, so, naturally, I'm insecure. Do you think it's too busy? There's a lot going on, but it takes up a relatively small amount of wall space, which makes me feel more comfortable with it. Is it photo overload? I mean, I love looking at these pictures, but if someone else came in, would they be like, "Whoa, chill out with the family photos, guys"?
Thoughts? Suggestions? Do I get a gold star or a frown face for this?

26 comments :

  1. May I steal the frame Idea. SUPER CUTE. I lovers it.

    Beautiful family. :D

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  2. Love this!

    It is just right - I have been wanting to make a frame like that for a while now!!! This definitely motivates me.

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  3. this is how we have pictures hung in our own bedroom. :)

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  4. I love the red frame with photos! I'm working on a white one just like that!

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  5. I think you did a fantastic job, Rachel! And I definitely don't think it's too busy...and who cares what anyone else would say walking into your home...;) I have a whole bunch of photos of my kids up...(I'm mean, who else am I going to hang on my walls???). I actually had a "friend" say to me once - "Geez, you have a lot of photos of your kids up" - but then I went into HER house and she has like 10x as many!!! jerk. So do what you like...because you're awesome...

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  6. I love it...and totally stealing the idea!

    I have a big frame just waiting for this treatment!

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  7. You don't want to see how many pictures I have all over the walls in my house... but it makes me happy to look at them. I love the wall, especially the clothesline, so cute!

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  8. I think it looks great! I'm with you...I have a wall that I have been wanting to venture with the Gallery idea, but I'm scared. :)

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  9. I've been wanting to make a frame like that for AGES, but I have never been able to find a large frame on the cheap. I guess no one in our area wants to get rid of their log cabin bear paintings just yet. I'm hoping to get one together by the holidays so we have a place to put Christmas cards and so we can take down OUR photo gallery wall that I'm just not crazy about.

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  10. Your wall art is very cute and creative! I also think its wonderful that you have decorated your house in 5 months, I like slowly adding in pieces, mostly because I get bored with decor.

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  11. I love this! I've wanted to do some sort of clothes pin frame thingy, but never quite found something that was simple enough(everything is usually so fussy!). I think you did a great job:)

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  12. Love it! It looks great with the four photos around it. And that photo of Forrest is perfect. I may consider kidnapping him. Of course I would return him when he turns hmmm, 4.

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  13. Looks beautiful just the way it is. I think I'll have to steal this idea too! Thanks for sharing.

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  14. I love it, especially that you can change the pictures easily if you get bored. That's my problem with ours. I need to change them but it's going to take so long!

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  15. super, SUPER cute! I love the red frame with the clothespins... you've become a "nester"! love it!

    Nicky

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  16. This is a great idea! As seasons change and baby grows you can easily change out the pinned up photos! Great Work!

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  17. I like it :) I have a ton of pictures of my family all over, too. They're so stinkin' cute, I can't help it! I think the only thing I would do differently with your wall is in the red frame. It seems like a lot of empty space for such a big frame. I would move lines up a bit and consider making the some pics (in an organized and symmetrical way :) ) a bigger size to give some variety. I'm sure it's just a me-preference and you've got to stick with what feels right for your space, do there you have it. My two cents :) Love your crochet stuff, by the way!

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  18. I love the way you did this! I'm totally with you on loving gallery walls but thinking some are a little overly cluttered. I really like how you did the clothesline concept! And the red is perfect.

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  19. Definitely a gold star!! I love it all, ESPECIALLY the frame with the pics hanging. So pretty!

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  20. I'm thinking you get a gold star. I LOVE the photo-clothesline idea. I have a bunch of big frames in my attic, and methinks I may have found a use for them ;) Thanks, Rachel!

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  21. One of my friends did something like this with vintage post cards. So cute! Where did you find those tiny clothespins? Those are adorable!!!

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  22. LOVE this idea! Super cute & Creative! Just wanted to let you know that I featured this today!

    http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/2011/11/show-share-14-features.html

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  23. Well I say 2 gold stars!! I love the clothespins! I think it's bright and cheerful!
    Thanks for sharing at Show & Share...looks like Lindsay liked it too! :)

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  24. I FINALLY made my clothesline picture frame, a la Rachel ;)

    http://cardboardcrafter.blogspot.com/2011/12/say-cheese.html

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