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Portrait And Gallery Walls: All You Need to Know

March 3, 2013 by Amanda Formaro

Portrait & Gallery Walls: All You Need to Know! @craftgossip

Have you been dying to create a portrait wall with your family photos or other art and just don’t know where to start? A must read is this great guide that includes tips for creating the Framed Portrait Wall that’s just right for you.

Creating a portrait wall with your family photos or other art can be a beautiful and meaningful way to add personality and charm to your home. But for many people, the idea of creating a portrait wall can be overwhelming. From choosing the right photos and frames to arranging them in a cohesive and visually appealing way, there are many things to consider.

In this guide, we’ll take you through all the steps you need to know to create a portrait wall that’s just right for you. Whether you’re looking to create a gallery wall of family photos, a collection of your favorite artwork, or a mix of both, we’ll provide you with tips and advice to help you create a wall that you’ll love.

If you need a little more inspiration to get you started, check out these fabulous portrait walls for ideas:

  1. The House of Smiths has a gorgeous grouping above a high shelf, keeping the photo gallery separated from the rest of the wall. Combined with subway art and specific colors in her photographs it truly makes a beautiful statement.
  2. It’s Two AM shares how the use of several colors and small snapshots can make for a bold and lively statement on the wall.
  3. Crafts by Amanda shows you how to decoupage your family photos onto distressed wood for a great rustic display.
  4. My Home Ideas shares a symmetrical display of snapshots on wood planks.
  5. Tatertots and Jello shared her bright and cheerful gallery wall, complete with unusually shaped frames that really stand out.
  6. Laura Brett Photography shares a beautiful grouping of photos stretched on canvas.

Here are more tips and ideas you may find helpful:

  • Marissa Waddell Interiors offers a diagram with several different layout options for gallery walls.
  • Ann Beck Photography has even more gallery ideas in her large diagram.
  • Maria Killam demonstrates how to use painter’s tape and paper to plan out your gallery right on the wall.

 

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Comments

  1. TidyMom says

    March 3, 2013 at 8:54 am

    many of my favorites in that list!! Thanks for this post, I’m working on my family room makeover and haven’t decided how I want to put my gallery wall back together.

  2. Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says

    March 4, 2013 at 9:03 am

    Really good resources, Amanda! I’ve found it difficult to plan a gallery layout and these will be very helpful in finally getting that project finished!

  3. Diane says

    January 2, 2014 at 12:45 am

    Great ideas. I have so many family photos that I need to hang.
    Thanks!
    Diane @ http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com

Have you read?

DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!

 

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