Do you ever start a project and think it will be really easy? And then it turns out not to be? You think it will take a day and it takes 6? Well, that is what happened to me this week.
I decided I wanted to make a wall of family photos and by that I mean a wall full of photos of my kids because let’s be honest here, no one ever takes my picture and when they do I am having a bad hair day, a bad clothes day or whatever else kind of bad day a girl can have. And the one really great family photo and frame I had to put it in just didn’t turn out to work with what I wanted the final result to look like. And my kids are cute. So a Kid Photo Wall is what this really turned out to be.
I took these frames
plus some other that I dug up around the house and painted them all white, then printed out all black and white photos to put in them. I wanted it to all be cohesive and clean looking. And since my kitchen is black and white and this space is part of the kitchen, it just seemed like a good idea.
See? Black and white.
On with the project. I wanted all white frames and as you know, I am frugal. I wasn’t going to go out and buy a whole new collection of frames so I took the ones I had and my white spray paint and turned them into what I wanted. I did have to go out to get more spray paint as the project progressed because I went through my stash. I also had to buy some more photo paper for printing these photos. I spent $8 on this project total.
And I ended up with a photo wall that makes me smile.
The layout and hanging gave me a headache. I won’t lie to you, I am not good at such things. I had the photos laid out on my kitchen table for a while the way I wanted them before I had the guts to put any nails in the wall. But I turned out okay and I daresay that the photos are all level too! A major victory.
I’m adding this to What I Made Wednesday. Be sure to check it out!
Also adding this to DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land and Beautiful Life Friday at The Inspired Room.
Wow. Just fabulous. I love the white frames on the blue wall. And the kids? gorgeous.
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I love it! I’ve been wanting to do a photo wall for the longest time and you’re giving me the nudge I need.
And your kids are beautiful.
Kimba
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Very well done! I’ve been considering something similar, but wasn’t sure it would work out that well. Definitely have to give it a try now.
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I love it! I’ve bee thinking about doing something similar in my living room but I haven’t been brave enough …
I really don’t have an eye for these things. You do though!
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Looks great! So fresh and clean. I love the black chalkboard you have in your kitchen. I bet your kids have fun with that! Oh, I also love the white cake pedestal. I’ve been on the look-out for one like just like yours!
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Lovely! I’m rubbish at that kind of thing, so I have a stack of 5 framed photos just sitting around.
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It looks wonderful!
Maybe you did it with this project, but you can always cut pieces of paper to the size of your photos and hang those up on the wall with tape and then when you have it all laid out where you want, hammer in the nails, remove the paper, and hang the pictures. Takes a bit of the guesswork out when it comes to making them level!
.-= Alison´s last blog ..Don’t Forget the Toiletries, But If You Do.. =-.
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Looks terrific! I’ve been meaning to do a similar project for awhile now. I feel inspired!
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Oh, Emily – it turned out so good. I love it.
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That’s beautiful, Emily! I love it!
.-= living with lindsay´s last blog ..Making Your Dream Room a Reality: A Series =-.
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It turned out great!!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Mama’s got a brand new toy to play with. . . =-.
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This looks great! I put up a photo wall in our apartment, but I used black frames and red or green mats (It doesn’t look as strange as it sounds). But I wanted to commend you on getting all your frames level. We have one frame that it determined to hang crooked no matter what, and even if I straighten it, the poem inside is crooked too!
.-= SavvyChristine´s last blog ..Speeding Through Life =-.
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Bravo on getting the pictures level. I have a hard time doing this even when I’m using a level.
I love the black and white pictures in the white frames.
.-= SoBella Creations´s last blog ..Another Great Giveaway ~ Bohtieque Designs =-.
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Beautiful! I love all of your photos. Thanks for sharing them as well as for inspiring us to follow through on our own projects.
Another tip for grouping photos is to sellotape some bits of wallpaper together and cut it to size to make a piece the same size as the bit of wall you intend to fill. Then you lay it on the floor, play around with grouping the photos and when you have the arrangement right, you pencil mark where you’re planning to put the nails for each photo. Then you tape the wallpaper to the wall and puncture the paper through the pencil marks and leave tiny marks where the nails will go.
.-= janice´s last blog ..Alfonsina and the Sea =-.
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The new wall looks grand!
Just about all of my projects start out with me saying,”How hard could it be?” and end with a headache. Still, that never stops me!
.-= Gwen´s last blog ..Metamorphosis Monday- August 3 =-.
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I have had luck finding frames at thrift stores and then painting or stainingthem the way I want them to look.
I too have a started a project similar.
It turned out great!
.-= paisley penguin´s last blog ..Weekly Update =-.
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Hey Em, it looks great! Well worth the effort
such precious faces to look at!
.-= melissa @ the inspired room´s last blog ..Evolved Over Time or Less is More? =-.
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As I was going through my RSS feeds, I was thinking about a wall of photos! Yours are inspirational. I always use matting, but I love the way yours look. Perfect.
.-= Mrs. Petrie´s last blog ..To Do List Update =-.
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This turned out wonderful! Best $8 ever!
.-= Amy @ Living Locurto´s last blog ..Easy Summer Recipes – Weekly Meal Plan =-.
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I’ve been wanting to do just what you did. Paint the frames all one color (black) and make a family photo wall. I still have not worked up the courage to do it. Maybe your post will help me to be brave since your wall turned out so nicely.
.-= Mrs. Not the Jet Set´s last blog ..Kids Art Project: Poppy Collage =-.
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Emily I LOVE it!! I have a photo wall, but i want to “redo” it! – all of my frames are black, my pictures are color and most are from studios – ok, this is going to be my project this fall I think!!!
~TidyMom
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..Trip to a Cupcake Bar! =-.
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Looks wonderful! I’ve been collecting 2nd hand frames in addition to the few that I have now as well to do just such a project in our loooong bare hallway. Still deciding on that one cohesive color….(black or white?????) but I do want to do all B/W prints if I can as well. Thanks for sharing!
.-= heidi´s last blog ..Monday Musings =-.
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I rarely hang anything on my walls because we dont own them, but in our next place, I will make sure I have some photos up. Since I dont want to hang just pictures of the two of us, they will be photos of just about anything else!
I love when you did with your wall!
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Two Great Green Living Blogs =-.
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LOVE it! It was worth the headache, right? Right???
I have pretty much the same project I want to do in my hallway, and the paint is a similar color.
Hopefully it won’t take me 6 days.
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My favorite subject matter for walls! Looks great!
Stopping by from Kimba’s…
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Monogrammed wicker baskets =-.
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I have a photo wall however have never really been happy with the way it looks…I like how your is even all around. May have to try mine that way.
.-= Caroline ´s last blog ..Diy Thursday sneak peak =-.
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wow, I love this idea! I have wanted to do this for a long time, I just dont have anywhere to put it right now!
But I am stocking it away in my idea file for sure!!
.-= Blissful Nikki´s last blog ..{How To: Spruce up a bulletin board} =-.
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Fabulous idea! What a special way to keep those you love always in your mind’s eye!
Thanks for sharing your project!
Debbykay at Rose Cottage Gardens and Farm
.-= Debbykay´s last blog ..Heavenly French Lavender =-.
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Wow, this looks fantastic! Those photos/frames are the blue wall are absolutely perfect.
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Happy squeals here!
I made my own expensive looking Pottery Barn inspired typography basket~come see.
.-= Laura Ingalls Gunn´s last blog ..Make your own typography basket =-.
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Love the idea of the white frames. I may have to do that with all the black ones I have. They seem to look so fresh and clean.
.-= Tania´s last blog ..Finding time =-.
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This lovely wall shows these beauties that you adore them. There is no doubt–
even when they might be in time out??
TTFN~~Claudia ♥ ♥
.-= Claudia@DipityRoad´s last blog ..Silver Lake =-.
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Oh my goodness- loved the white framed pictures- great-
You have a fabulous blog.
.-= teresa´s last blog ..Progress- =-.
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I can only imagine how hard all that spray painting was. I continue to stroke my husband’s ego about how much better he is with the spray paint then I am and he continues to do my projects for me…I wonder how long that will last?
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Life As I Know It =-.
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Love the uniformity of black and white photos – I am definitely going to do this.
Thanks for inspiring me
.-= janmary, n ireland´s last blog ..A transformation, before your very eyes! =-.
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Love the way the white frames look against the blue wall.
Also, would you be willing to share where you got that great mirror ~ I love it!
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[...] I have to come up with fresh and new ideas for displaying printed photos around my home. I love my Family Photo Wall, displaying Photographs and Flowers, Photo Tiles and Displaying Children’s Artwork and Photos [...]