How To: Create a Quick & Easy Gallery Wall

So you want to make a gallery wall? I get it. It’s my favorite part of our apartment. Making everything look perfect was definitely a trial and error process for us, so we’re sharing our hard-won gallery wall creation knowledge with you. Get those hammers ready.

1. Be sure to vary artwork sizes and frame types. To achieve that boho chic look we’re all aiming for (come on, admit it), you’ll want to mix in antique with new, simple with bold, and colorful with plain. We chose to frame everything on our wall, but you definitely don’t need to — try pinning something up without a frame to see how it works. This is all about experimentation. 

2. Add a few personal touches! We had an aura photo taken together last year, and it’s one of our favorite parts of the gallery wall, thanks to the pop of color it adds and the memories it will always carry with it. We also framed a screenprint a friend made for us — guests might not recognize this personal touch, but it’s special to us and a reminder of our friend everytime we see it. 

3. Mix it up re: what type of artwork to include. We chose to include photos, illustrations, and paintings—but the sky’s the limit. 

4. Don’t be afraid of vintage. Head to a thrift store, estate sale, or vintage shop and dig through the old artwork. It might be the perfect way to add a bit of ~gravitas~ to your gallery wall. Or it might just look cute. Nice either way. 

5. Once everything is framed (or not! See: tip no. 1) and ready to go, lay out your gallery before you commit nail to wall. Get the spacing right, try out different arrangements, and then start hammering. Moving forward, you can always add new pieces to build out the gallery wall and keep things fresh! 

By Maddy Pontz