How to Display Family Photos in a Design on a Wall

Your photos will be the focus in coordinating black, metal, or plain wood frames.

If your walls are empty, pick out a few family photos to hang up to display special events and share your memories. They are an inexpensive way to decorate the walls in a room, though just hanging a couple of random snapshots with no design will make the pictures look lost with no theme. Using a few low-cost tools and arranging them in a planned grouping you will create a photo story that can be mistaken for a professional design.

Things You'll Need

• Photos
• Frames
• Butcher paper
• Painter's tape
• Picture hanging hooks and nails
• Hammer
• Standard or laser level

Instructions

1. Select the wall to be used for the display of family photos. Take note of the size and shape of the wall. A large wall requires larger images, multiple small photos, or a combination of the two. Small walls may only have space for one picture or a couple of small photos compactly arranged. Common areas such as the dining room or staircase are ideal for everyone to enjoy the photos.

2. Pick out photos for the arrangement that relate to each other. Images from a family vacation, of the same person over a period of time, or one large family portrait with smaller photos of family members accenting will create a cohesive grouping. Unify pictures that do not relate to each other by printing in black and white or sepia.

3. Select frames to use in the arrangement. Use coordinating frames with a theme; they do not need to be identical in a collage grouping. Frames that are the same color but vary in shape and size create a unified look. Use neutral-colored mats that allow the photos to be the focus. Ensure all photos are printed to the correct size to fit the frames and matting.

4. Lay butcher paper on the floor and arrange framed photos on top. Adjust the frames until you find a pleasing arrangement. Consider a grouping of four small square photos placed two across and two high, three vertical photos placed side-by-side, a collage grouping with a balanced pattern and defined border or one large photo with one smaller photo on each side. There are endless possibilities, simply ensure the grouping is visually balanced.

5. Allow 1 to 2 inches between each frame; they will look cluttered if they are too close together and floating independently if too far apart. Level each frame to ensure they are all straight. Mark the locations of the frame hooks on the paper and trace around each frame.

6. Tape the butcher paper on the wall using painter's tape. The center of the arrangement should be at eye level, about 57 inches high, or slightly higher. Level the traced frames on the wall with a standard level or laser level.

7. Hammer nails or hooks into the wall where you marked on the butcher paper. Ensure the nails and hooks can support the appropriate amount of weight for each frame.

8. Remove the paper and hang each picture on the appropriate nail or hook. Make certain each frame hangs level.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a mirror in a grouping if you do not have enough photos to hang.

• Frame a piece of your child's artwork to use in a grouping with photos of him.

• Frame a piece of cork board and hang snapshots inside with nice tacks or pins.

• If you do not have butcher paper, substitute pages of newspaper taped together.

• For a casual look, lean photos on a decorative shelf mounted to the wall.

References

• HP: Creative Ways to Display Your Family Photos
• Stellers Gallery: Hanging Art Tips