How to Make a Gallery Wall?

I’m going to be honest with you: I stared at my blank living room wall for three months before I finally worked up the courage to create a gallery wall. 

Three months of scrolling through perfect Pinterest images, second-guessing every frame choice, and worrying about making a hundred holes in the wall. Sound familiar?

Here’s what I learned after finally taking the plunge: gallery walls are way more forgiving than you think. They’re supposed to look collected over time, not perfectly planned. 

And that fear of commitment? It’s normal, but I’m going to walk you through this step by step so you can skip the three months of wall-staring I went through.

Let’s create a gallery wall that actually feels like you, without the overwhelm.

Choosing the Perfect Wall Space for Your Gallery Wall

First things first: where are you putting this? Walk around your home and notice where your eye naturally lands when you enter a room. 

That’s usually your best gallery wall candidate. You want a wall with enough breathing room to let the collection shine, but not so much space that your arrangement looks tiny and lost.

Living rooms are the obvious choice; the wall above your sofa is perfect gallery wall territory. Just make sure you leave at least 6 to 12 inches between the top of your couch and the bottom of your frames. 

But don’t overlook hallways, bedrooms, dining rooms, and entryways. They all make great gallery wall spaces.

Measuring Your Wall Space

Grab a tape measure and write down the width and height of your available wall space. Use painter’s tape to mark off the area you want to fill. This gives you a visual boundary and helps you see if you’re being realistic about the size.

If you have furniture below your gallery wall area, measure that too. A good rule of thumb is that your gallery wall should be roughly two-thirds the width of the furniture underneath it. This creates visual balance and keeps everything feeling proportional.

Selecting Art and Frames for Your Gallery Wall

Before you buy anything, do what I call “shopping your home.” Check your closets, look under beds, peek in the garage. You probably already have more than you think. I found six forgotten framed pieces when I did this, including pieces that ended up being perfect for my gallery wall.

Start gathering everything you might want to include. That vintage plate? Grab it. Your friend’s watercolor? Yes. Your kid’s art? Absolutely. You’re not committing to using it all; you’re just giving yourself options to work with during the planning phase.

Gathering Your Art Collection

Think about what story you want your gallery wall to tell. Family memories? Travel adventures? A curated art collection? 

You don’t need a rigid theme, but having a loose thread that connects things helps create cohesion. I love mixing personal photos with art prints and meaningful objects. It keeps things interesting without feeling too formal or too sentimental.

Don’t be afraid to include things that aren’t traditional “art.” Postcards, fabric swatches, even vintage book covers work beautifully when framed. 

You can even add three-dimensional pieces like ceramic wall hangings or small mirrors to create depth and texture. And here’s a pro tip: gather about twice as many pieces as you think you’ll need. Having options makes the arrangement process infinitely easier.

Mixing Frame Styles and Sizes

Here’s the truth: matching frames can actually make your gallery wall look boring. I bought a set of identical black frames once and the whole display fell flat. It looked like I’d just printed everything at the same time instead of collecting pieces I loved.

The magic happens when you mix different frame colors, materials, and sizes. Try combining wood tones with black frames and maybe a white or brass one thrown in. Vary your sizes too – include a couple of large anchor pieces, some medium frames, and smaller ones to fill gaps.

That said, you do want some cohesion. Repeat each frame style at least twice throughout the display. So if you have one gold frame, include at least one more somewhere else in the arrangement. 

This creates visual rhythm without being too matchy. For budget-friendly options, check thrift stores for vintage frames or use affordable digital prints from Etsy that you can print yourself.

Planning Your Gallery Wall Layout

This is the step that separates a “meh” gallery wall from one that makes people stop and stare. The planning phase takes time, but it saves you from hammering seventeen unnecessary holes in your wall. Ask me how I know.

The key to planning a gallery wall is visualization before commitment. You want to play around with different arrangements until something clicks before you start making holes. Here are the two best methods for this.

The Floor Layout Method

This is my absolute favorite technique, and it’s the one I recommend if you’re a beginner. Clear a space on your floor that’s roughly the same size as your wall area (remember those measurements you took?). Use painter’s tape on the floor to mark out the boundaries if that helps you visualize.

Now lay out all your frames and art pieces on the floor, arranging and rearranging until you find a composition you love. Start with your largest piece. 

This is your anchor. Place it slightly off-center rather than dead center, because that off-center placement helps your eye move around the entire display instead of just landing in the middle and stopping.

Build outward from there, adding your other pieces and playing with the spacing. Stand up occasionally to get a bird’s-eye view. 

Take photos from above with your phone so you can reference the layout later when you’re actually hanging. I cannot tell you how many times those reference photos have saved me.

Using Paper Templates for Planning

If you don’t have floor space to work with, or if you’re a more visual person who needs to see things on the actual wall, hanging templates are your best friend. This method takes a bit more time upfront, but it’s incredibly accurate and gives you confidence before you commit.

Trace each frame onto kraft paper, newspaper, or even old wrapping paper. Cut out these paper shapes and tape them to your wall using painter’s tape (blue tape won’t damage your paint). 

Now you can arrange and rearrange your paper templates directly on the wall until the layout feels right.

Once you’re happy with the arrangement, you can mark where your nails go right through the paper, or measure from your tape lines. 

Some people even leave the templates up and hang frames right over them, then tear the paper away afterward. The beauty of this method is that you see exactly how it’ll look at the actual scale and height before making a single hole.

Step-by-Step: How to Hang Your Gallery Wall

Deep breath. You’ve planned everything, you know your layout, and now it’s time to actually put holes in the wall. Take your time and check your work as you go. If you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world. Holes can be patched and frames can be adjusted.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

Let’s gather everything before you start so you’re not running around mid-project. Here’s your complete toolkit:

• Hammer and nails: Picture-hanging nails or hooks rated for your frame weight
• Level: A small torpedo level or your phone’s level app works perfectly
• Measuring tools: Tape measure and pencil for marking
• A friend: Having someone hold frames while you check placement is incredibly helpful
• Command art hanging strips: For renters or anyone avoiding nail holes (holds frames up to 8 pounds)

Check the back of each frame to see what hardware it already has. Some come with hooks, others use wire, and some need you to add D-rings. If you’re using command art hanging strips, they’re absolute game-changers for avoiding nail holes. Just make sure you follow the package directions for applying them. Prep the wall and the frame properly for the best hold.

Starting with Your Anchor Piece

Remember that largest piece from your layout? That’s where you start. This anchor piece sets the position for everything else, so getting it right matters. Measure up from the floor to where you want the center of this piece to hang (or measure down from the ceiling if that’s easier in your space).

Here’s where it gets a tiny bit mathematical, but stick with me. Measure the height of your frame, divide by two, and that’s the distance from the center to the top edge. Now measure from the top of your frame down to where the hanging hardware sits. Subtract that hardware measurement from your “center to top” measurement. That’s where your nail goes.

If this math makes your eyes glaze over, there’s an easier way: have someone hold the frame exactly where you want it on the wall. Use a pencil to mark the top of the frame. Then measure down to where the hardware sits and mark that spot. Nail goes there. Done.

Working Outward from the Center

With your anchor piece hung and level (check it twice seriously), you can start adding the surrounding pieces. This is where those reference photos of your floor layout or your paper templates really pay off. Work slowly and methodically, hanging pieces that are close to your anchor first, then moving outward.

Don’t be afraid to step back frequently. What looks right when you’re standing two feet from the wall might look off when you’re across the room where you’ll actually be viewing it. I hang a piece, step back to the doorway or couch, check it, and adjust if needed before moving to the next one.

For frames that sit close to each other, I sometimes measure the space between them with a ruler to keep spacing consistent. But honestly? Eyeballing it works most of the time, especially for eclectic layouts where perfection isn’t the goal. If something looks slightly off, you can always pop the nail out and move it over an inch. Small adjustments are normal.

Leveling and Adjusting

This is where your level becomes your best friend. Even frames that look straight to your eye can be slightly tilted, and that tilt becomes really obvious once everything is hung. I check each frame with my level before moving to the next one. It takes an extra 30 seconds and saves so much frustration later.

If a frame won’t stay level (some hanging wire is wonky), try adjusting the wire or adding a second nail for stability. Those little felt bumpers you can stick on the bottom corners of frames help too. They keep frames from shifting when the door slams or someone walks heavily past the wall.

Once everything is up, do a final walk-through from different angles. Check from the room entrance. Check from where you sit on the couch. Check from the doorway. If something bothers you from every angle, adjust it. 

But if it only looks off from one specific spot where you never actually stand? Let it go. Perfect is the enemy of done, and your gallery wall is already beautiful.

To Wrap It All Up

Here’s what I want you to remember: your gallery wall doesn’t have to be perfect. The gallery walls that get the most compliments in my home are the ones that evolved over time, not the ones I agonized over trying to make flawless from day one.

Start somewhere. Hang something. You can always adjust, add, remove, or completely redo it later. Your gallery wall tells your story, and your story is still being written. It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few pieces and add more as you find things you love.

What matters is that you love looking at it and it makes your space feel more like home. Now stop staring at that blank wall and go create something beautiful.