How to Hang a Wall Collage
Wall collages are a popular and fun way to dress up an empty wall and create a unique focal point in a space. Since I've recently added canvas wrap bundles to my product line, I thought I'd share some tips to make hanging multiple photos on a wall a breeze. Years ago, I came across this tip, probably from HGTV or something, and it SERIOUSLY makes your life so much easier! I had a wall in our master bedroom that really needed SOMETHING. Since I had acquired so many photos of the dogs because, um, they're really cute and I'm a photographer, I figured that would be the perfect space to just cover it in cute, wrinkly faces. Here's what it currently looks like.
I'm just going to preface this by saying that I'm no master decorator and I probably do things half-assed sometimes, like eye-balling things instead of measuring or not using a level. I also feel like most people aren't master decorators. If you aren't, this blog is totally for you.
So here's what you'll need:
- nails or screws
- hammer or drill
- pencil
- painter's tape
- large sheet of paper or multiple sheets taped together
- framed images or canvases to hang
- good music is welcome, but not necessary
Start by measuring the wall space you're looking to cover and ensure your paper is the same dimensions. When I did my wall collage years ago, I taped multiple pieces of wrapping paper together because the wall space was so large. Then I just used the blank side of the paper to arrange my frames. You don't need to be fancy with your paper, so feel free to use some extra paper your have lying around the house rather than buying some. It ends up in the trash at this end of this anyway.
After you have your paper the same size as your wall space, take your frames and arrange them how you'd like to see them on your wall. Play around to see what looks best and once you've figured the look out, take your pencil and trace around each frame. Be sure to mark on the paper the middle of the frame on the top line where the hanger is on the back of the frame. Keep in mind that different frames may have the hooks or hangers in different spots on the back. If you have a hanger that is set lower, make sure you account for that when tracing and marking your hanger location. I also highly recommend you take a quick photo with your cell phone once this step is done so you will remember where all the photos go. This is especially helpful if you are hanging a lot of frames.
Once your frames are traced onto the paper and your hanger location is marked, remove the frames and tape your paper to the wall where you want your collage to go. If everything looks good, go ahead and start putting the nails or screws in where you've marked on the paper. When all the nails are in, rip off the paper and hang your frames.
And that is literally it! Arranging and tracing your frames on the paper before hanging seriously saves you so much time and hassle. That way, any changes can be made BEFORE you put those nails in the wall. If you're into symmetry, you don't have to worry about constantly measuring the wall to make sure your frames are even on each side. I hope you found this helpful! Feel free to share with me your wall collages in the comments! I'd love to see what you come up with!
PS. As an added bonus to this blog, here's a funny picture of Meat helping me years ago when we did our collage wall, and my janky wrapping paper taped together :P
