How to Make a Budget Friendly Photo Gallery Wall

by Alina Orozco

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If you’re looking to add personal touches to your modern or coastal home, a curated and personalized photo gallery is a great design option. Here is how you can create a budget friendly photo gallery wall in your home that looks elevated and expensive with insightful tips and easy tutorial.

How to Choose the Right Frames and Layout for Your Gallery Wall

A beautiful photo gallery wall in your home is a great way to personalize your space.

If you’re looking to elevate your space and create an intimate highlight reel for your home, a photo gallery is a great way to layer personal touches but in a stylish way.

The key to your gallery wall looking professional and elevated is to find the right frames that work within the style and aesthetic of your home, as well as finding frame sizes which compliment your home.

Here are the tips that helped me create the right gallery wall for my home.

1. Choose the Right Wall

The first step to designing your photo gallery wall is selecting the ideal location. Think about the space available in your home—whether it’s a large living room, a hallway, or even a small entryway. Make sure the wall is spacious enough to accommodate a collection of frames, but also not so large that it feels empty or overwhelming.

Tips for Choosing the Right Wall:

Consider a wall with a neutral color, so your photos can stand out.
Avoid overly busy walls (with patterns or lots of furniture) that might compete with your display.
Look for a spot that draws attention, like above a couch or along a staircase.

2. Mix and Match Frame Sizes

When arranging your gallery wall, one of the most stylish techniques is mixing and matching various frame sizes and orientations. The contrast between large and small frames adds visual interest and gives the space a more curated, artistic feel.

For an elevated look opt for frames that are matted, the addition of the border really makes the photographs or art pop out of the frame and makes them look more custom and thus expensive!

For my modern coastal home I chose wood frames, brass as well as a couple with interesting details. Mixed metals and wood are a great way to elevate your photo wall.

3. Plan Your Layout

Before you start hanging your photos, lay out the frames on the floor to get a feel for the arrangement. This step allows you to experiment with different placements and decide on the overall layout that works best.

For my layout of the photos, I was inspired by this Staggered Grid Gallery Wall by Framebridge, but quickly realized I did not have as much space. So I scaled my frames down a few sizes and eliminated two frames, making my photo wall smaller, but still with a beautifully cohesive layout.

The step that really helped me design the right layout for my space was using gift wrapping paper to see how the frames would work on the wall. I found this step very helpful and would recommend everyone incorporates it when designing a gallery wall for your home.

Layout Tips:

Symmetrical layout: This arrangement works well if you want a more traditional or orderly look. Align the frames in a grid or a straight line for balance.
Asymmetrical layout: For a more modern and dynamic feel, place your frames in an off-center, non-linear pattern. Vary the spacing between frames to keep things visually interesting.
Clustered arrangement: Group similar-sized frames together in a cluster. This approach is ideal for smaller spaces, like a hallway.

3. Frame Your Photos on a Budget

Frames can get expensive, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options available. You don’t have to buy pricey designer frames to achieve a polished, cohesive look. I found my frames at Target.

4. Collect Your Photos

Now it’s time to gather the photos you want to showcase. The beauty of a gallery wall is that it’s completely customizable. Whether you want to display family portraits, vacation snapshots, or even inspirational quotes and art, there are no rules. Mix and match different photo sizes to create a dynamic, eclectic look.

Tips for Photos:

What worked for me, when designing this budget friendly gallery wall was to focus on the design first and add photos that would work later. I did start with 2 photos that I knew would work for this gallery, and the rest I had to find to match the frames.
This may seem backwards to some people but I found it helped me decide on design and photos much easier, I knew I had to pick vertical and horizontal photos and this made the choosing part much less complicated.

5. Use Creative Ways to Hang the Frames

Hanging your photo frames doesn’t have to involve nails or screws, especially if you’re on a budget. There are plenty of affordable, creative ways to display your gallery photos without damaging your walls. If you have not previously tried these

Budget-Friendly Hanging Solutions:

Command Strips or Hooks: These are perfect for renters or those who don’t want to make holes in the wall. They’re inexpensive, easy to use, and can hold multiple frames.
Super hooks— if you’ve never used super hook picture hangers before, I highly recommend you give these a try. Not only are they extremely affordable, they do not require any hammering or nails and they leave virtually no damage on your wall.

If you’ve been putting off this project, this is your sign to create a budget friendly photo gallery wall. Here is an Instagram reel I posted about this project.