Yesterday, I showed you my finished gallery wall and today, as promised, I want to share my styling secrets (well not really secrets, but you catch my drift) on how to create your own.
First off, I wanted to include a nice variety of art & prints, some of which would be my own creation. I don’t imagine myself to be anything close to a painter and I can see how it could be very intimidating to plaster your own artwork all over your walls. But trust me when I say experimenting with some watercolours or acrylics can be pretty fun and the perfect addition to any household gallery wall. 
I was inspired by this Serena and Lily wallpaper, so I decided to recreate it with watercolors. You could try painting geometric shapes or just lines of different colors too. Remember when it comes to watercolors, the more water, the softer the line. 
I also decided to paint on canvas using acrylics (seen on the bottom). This was a simple, abstract piece that was super easy to create and offered some contrast in the arrangement. 
When I visited West Elm this summer, I loved this piece of artwork, among many others. Since I couldn’t bring it home with me, I grabbed a deep frame from Ikea and layered different white paper/canvas products to create a piece with interesting textures sort of like the one at West Elm. This one ended up being a bit too big for the wall arrangement, so it will lean for the time being.
So when it comes to creating artwork, be inspired by what you see and don’t be afraid to try and create it yourself, like my rough sketch of one of my favorite monuments 🙂
Once you have collected your pieces and frames, play around with the arrangement on the floor until you find one that works. Think about visual balance (more on that later). Then trace your pieces on kraft paper. I got a roll at Michaels for around 5 dollars. Take those paper replicas and stick them to the wall in the arrangement you decided on the floor. I played around with mine a lot before I settled on the final placement. Always try to start with the bigger pieces and layer in the smaller. 
To hang your frames, measure where the wire or hook is from the top of the frame then find that same spot on your paper. I used a pencil to make my mark and then hammered in the nail (remember to use wall anchors if you are hanging something pretty heavy). Pull the paper off the wall and hang away! Easy peasy! 
And there you have it!
Besides my own art, I have included (from left to right):
- Gratitude print (a gift)
- Rifle Paper Co. Card And They Lived Happily Ever After
- A vintage letter addressed to my Nana
- Vintage petit points also from Nana
- Watercolor art by the amazing Sarah Swanson, one of my favorite (sort of local) designers
- Anthropologie & Sign
- Film Noir from Society 6
- Elizabeth Mayville Bun Print
- Etsy Art – Tandem Bicycle Print on Vintage Dictionary
I hope that you have as much fun as I did creating a gallery wall. If you have one you would like to share, please leave a comment and I will be sure to check it out! xx
Comments are closed.