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From 1 frame to 12 – the easiest way to hang a gallery wall

Imagine if you could hang a gorgeous gallery of 12 frames like this one without using a hammer and nails… How is this possible you ask?! Well, it’s easy. You do it with frames that you simply push into the wall to hang. We know, we know, it sounds too good to be true – but in this case, it IS true. Meet our brand new Place&Push frames (P&P).

As soon as spring arrives, we crave floral everything. And much like the colors of most flower petals, we crave pastels too. So here’s our  “Yay it’s spring!” wall – it’s fresh, feminine (without being too girly), soft, chic and just drop-dead beautiful. It’s like bringing spring indoors. We can almost smell those peonies!

As we all know, a big blank wall can be overwhelming. Which color to paint? What to hang? What theme to follow? How many pieces? What about the frames? Just thinking about it can give you a headache, enough to completely discourage you and just leave it blank. Let’s change that. We’ll show you a brand new way to hang pictures, the Place&Push way.
Now… this post contains a lot of photos – but please note – it’s not because this project is complicated. On the contrary! We wanted to be as thorough as possible, and show you how simple it really is to get this look.

What you’ll need:

Directions: Let’s get to work!

Do the math first (then the rest is super easy)
  • Measure the wall to figure out how many frames you could ideally hang (one or more) and how to display them.
  • This wall is 84″W X 94″ H.
  • Going into this project, we knew we’d hang a gallery, but I didn’t know how many frames I’d use in total, or how I would lay them out.
  • Since the wall is in a hallway at our office, we thought we’d create a major focal point by hanging 12 frames (4 rows of 3).
  • Tip: an odd number of frames per row is easier to hang than an even number. Hang the one in the middle first, then the ones on each side.
  • To start, we found the middle of the wall by measuring the width and length, and marked it with a black SpacerStrip.
  • Next, we measured our frames – they’re 15″x 15″ – all identical.
  • We determined that if we left 4 inches in between each row, the total length of the display would be 66″ (read on to see how we decided on 4″).
  • At a glance, here are our measurements:
Figure out the order to display your frames
By the way, we made the floral art, click here to see how.
  • Although they’re all florals, we wanted to make sure we were not hanging 2 similar images side by side, so we determined our layout on the floor first – right in front of our display wall of choice.
  • Once we knew the order, we tested different layout options. Once we found one we liked, we tested different spacing in between rows and columns. As the photo above shows, we left 4″ between each horizontal row, quite simply because any more than that felt like we were trying to fill the whole wall. Also, 4″ is a good rule of thumb.
  • As for the vertical spacing – 2″ turned out to be best. Any more felt like the frames were simply too far apart. Once again, 2″ is good standard spacing. We tried equal spacing all around, but it made the display too symmetrical (there is such thing)!
  • Once we were happy with the layout and spacing – we took a picture of it with our iPad. It’s amazing how much that helps in spotting mistakes or anomalies. Also, you can use the picture to remember where each frame goes.
  • Before we began, we marked the center of the wall with 4 SpacerStrips running vertically to clearly identify the middle of the wall.
  • The last image, shows the back of the P&P frames with pins already in place, and the mini level that lightly adheres on top.

Here, we’re showing how we tested different spacing between frames. A large gap, a smaller one and much narrower one (that’s the 2″ winner). With that said, there’s no wrong answer, it all depends on the look you want to achieve and the size of the wall.

How did we hang the frames
  • We hung all of the middle frames first, starting with the bottom. Knowing that the entire length of our display was 66″ (see picture with measurements above) – we found the lowest spot to start and worked our way up. Note: we don’t have to worry about pets or little ones at the office, so this type of floor to wall display works really well.
  • We centered the first frame with the center of the wall (i.e. with the SpacerStrips).
  • Each SpacerStrip measures 2″, so we butted 2 together to make up the 4″ gap.
  • We hung the first frame, and once the bubble on the level was straight – we pushed the frame into the wall. It’s that easy! OK, watch this short video to see how it works – you’ll see! Click here.
  • To hang the frame above (the 2nd one), we lined it up with the first and again, pushed it in.
  • We removed the 2 SpacerStrips and lined them up above the 2nd frame.
  • We hung the 3rd and 4th frames by repeating these steps.
  • The middle row is hung perfectly!
  • Note: the pins make very small holes in the walls, so you’re off a bit, don’t worry – you won’t even see the mistake from a distance and there’s a good chance it’ll be covered by another frame anyway.
Hanging the right & left columns
  • Next, we hung the right column, starting at the top (simply because we just finished hanging the middle row and our step stool was conveniently there)!
  • We chose the right, but you could also start with the left – completely up to you!
  • Remember that the vertical gap is 2″ – so we only needed 1 SpacerStrip to guide us.
  • With the level on the top of the frame and the SpacerStrip in place, we lined up the frame with the one next to it. When it was leveled, we pushed the frame into the wall.
  • We repeated the same steps to hang the remainder of the frames on the right.
  • Note: Don’t be alarmed by all the pictures. It’s very easy to hang this gallery because unlike traditional frames, you don’t have to measure anything from the back of the frame.
  • Once the column on the right was all done, we tackled the left.
  • Just like the right, we started at the top and made our way down, following the exact same steps.
Within an hour, we were all done. There’s no way we could have hung this gallery the old-fashioned way without losing our sanity, and in such a short amount of time.
 
Also, since there is a pin in each top corner of the frame, it will forever stay straight on the wall. No need to re-level after dusting. This is especially great in a gallery, because if one frame is crooked, they all look crooked.
Ta-da! Here’s the gallery of 12 frames all done – sans mistake holes!

Notice how the complete display makes a rectangle. We hung 12 identical frames in perfect symmetry to show how do-able it is when you have the right tools and/or the right frames. Symmetry is beautiful – it creates a sense of order and calmness, especially when the art is soft and feminine looking.
 

If you want to find out about this beautiful blush wall color, check out the post: Wow! What color is that?

This gallery looks beautiful in pictures and even better in person. Every time we walk by it, we tell ourselves “ah, it’s so pretty.”

Check out these quick reminders/tips you might find helpful the next time you’re hanging anything:
  • Have all your tools ready before you get started – it’s amazing how much time you’ll save.
  • Keep your theme consistent (i.e. the fresh look of all white frames). Our floral photos in the frames are also in the same color tones. Our goal was to create a soft-looking wall arrangement.
  • Symmetry adds a sense of calmness on the wall and to the whole room. The rectangular shape is pleasing to the eye and it’s very classy too.
  • In this case, we hung our bottom frames close to the ground, but you might want to consider having them higher if you’ve got children or pets.
  • An odd number of frames per row is easier to hang than an even number.

What do you think? Do you like the symmetrical display? Would you choose more or less frames? Talk to us via the comment box below.

Thanks for hanging out with us,

#UTRdecorating

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