So I finally got around to finishing and hanging my state prints . Big thanks to Cindy at Paper Parasol Press, I absolutely love her work and she was a great Etsy seller to work with. You may not know this about me, but I’ve lived in 6 different states in my 23 short years, so I wanted this gallery wall to tell the story of my journey from place to place. I splurged on the prints, so I chose the IKEA Ribba frames, which fit 8″ x 10″ prints matted and are only $10 each. The prints looked so bland with the original white mats because the prints themselves are on white letterpress. Initially I thought I’d have to go buy custom colored mats, but I realized I could just use my paint samples and get the mat colors exactly how I wanted them. Jump to full article to see how I did it.
Supplies:
- Paint Samples: $3 per color at Home Depot, can find some colors for as little as $0.50)
- Paint Brush: $2.50
- Ikea Frames: $10 each
- Measuring Tape
- Level (we used free iHandy app for iPhone)
Step 1: Paint mats using paint samples, each cost about $3 from Home Depot. Reuse Ikea box to protect floors
Step 2: After mats dry (I leave mine overnight), assemble frames and choose desired layout for wall
Step 3: Measure wall and divide width of wall by the number of columns desired (for us, 2)
Step 4: Divide the column by 2 to find the center and hammer in two nails, one a few inches to the left of this center point and one a few inches to the right. Now you can line up the center of the frame with this center point, hanging the frame on the two nails. We used the free ‘iHandy Level’ app to make sure picture was laying even.
Step 5: For each additional picture you want to hang underneath in the same column of wall space, measure a fixed amount below the bottom of the top frame (say 3 inches) and place two more nails in the wall on either side of this new center point. Keep the spacing consistent to make it look neat!
Total price for 6 frames, paint & brush: $75
Total price with frames, paint & prints: $230 (prints $26/state)
