How To Create A Gallery Wall Photo Display

I have been a huge fan of Holly Brimhall's Photography for many years. It all started about seven years ago when I saw her post some photos on Two Peas In A Bucket. Are you a Pea? If not, you will want to become one. My favorite hobby is scrapbooking and 2 Peas is an awesome site for all things related to scrapbooking. They also have a HUGE community with great forums. Holly had posted photos in their photo gallery and that is how I found my way to her blog, Sunshine in My Soul. She is a beautiful, kind and amazingly talented photographer. She writes about her life on her blog and is always open and real. I love that about her! Life is not perfect people!!

When we moved to Gilbert in March I was so excited to finally be able to have Holly take some photos of my daughters. She has this darling buggy and I wanted Emily in that buggy with Lauren fake pushing her. I had seen some other photos with sisters that were similar and thought they were so sweet. I also wanted to surprise Chad for Father's Day with some special photos. Special is just one of the many words that have been used to describe these photos.

Once I got the edited images from Holly I didn't know what to do first. I knew that I wanted to create a photo wall going up the stairs, but I honestly thought about how I would create wallpaper with them too. I want them everywhere because I love them so much. Here is the process I used to create my gallery wall.

1. I had 4X6 prints made of each one.
2. I started sorting. I put a pile of the ones with the two of them and then a pile with them individually. I then sorted the previous piles further: with the buggy, without, sitting, standing, etc. This is what worked for me. Holly also took some with me so those were in another pile. I only wanted the two girls in the hall so the ones with me were thought about later.
3. After sorting, I had some blown up. I knew I wanted some 16X20's, some 11X14's and some 8X10's. All the photos were printed by Mpix. I had them printed on metallic pearl paper, mounted and sprayed with a luster coating. There is no need for glass this way, and I knew there would be a lot of glare on these if they were behind glass.
4. I waited patiently for the photos.
5. I arranged the blown up photos on my dining room table. (Many times!!!) Some got edited from here and the one at the top with Emily looking up at Lauren I put in a completely different spot in our home. It needed its own place.

6. I gathered frames I had and spray painted them all black. Super easy!
7. I ordered more photos to fill in the gaps that I didn't like. I was also trying to balance how many individual photos there were. (This is the reason that some are still 4X6 in size.)
8. I waited patiently again for the rest of the photos to arrive.
9. I measured the width of the wall and used a piece of cardboard to gauge where I wanted the height of the center photo to be.
10. Hung the center photo and then eyed it from there.

Even after I started to hang them I changed the arrangement a bit. It took me quite a few hours between Emily's naps, but I managed to get them all up in a day. Since we are renting this house I didn't want to have to paint all the walls. That is why I chose black frames. They really look nice against the white walls as well as cohesive and elegant with the photos. It was hard for me to get a straight on photo because the stairwell wall was in the way.

There are soooooo many more photos that I love and I have put some others around the house. I could just stare at them all all day long. I might even add to this wall and curve it around the whole staircase. I am still planning to get a big 24X36 photo that is vertical. It will go on the wall to the right of this one. My favorites with the girls and me are in the Master Bedroom.

I hope you enjoy my creation and will tell me about a photo wall that you have created.