Photo Collage

Here is the photo collage I made in my family room.

I used frames from Cut It Out and painted them to match my family room decor. The rest of the frames are either black or white and I love how it kind of “calms” the funkiness of those frames.

I really wanted to incorporate that cool picture of my husband’s great grandfather at their family business in the early 1900′s, so I decided to print most of my pictures in black and white and do colored pictures only in the colorful frames.

Here is how I completed this project:

1. I really like the look of a random collage- but my symmetrical self needed some kind of pattern. So first, I laid all my frames out on a big sheet of paper that was the size of the area I wanted to use on my wall. (I just taped some old computer paper together, but you could use wrapping paper or butcher paper, or whatever you have on hand.) This will make it easy to see the boundaries of your collage, and it serves a purpose for the actual hanging of the frames- keep reading for that info! When I had my paper laying on the floor, I laid out all my frames and just started arranging and rearranging everything until I found a layout I loved.
2. I used the same technique I shared HERE using toothpaste to place the nail. Once I had toothpaste on the back of each of the frames, I pressed them onto the paper (which was still on the floor) to show me where I was going to hang the nail.
3. Next, I cleared the frames off the paper and taped the paper to the wall with painters tape. You will need help with this if your collage area is as big as mine. Make sure your paper is nice and straight and centered on your wall.
4. With your paper hanging on your wall, look for all your toothpaste dabs and begin hammering your nails through them.
5. Get some help from your 9 year old if you need to!
6. With all your nails in place, carefully pull the paper off the wall, trying not to take the nails out while you do this.

Now that you have a wall full of nails, hang your picture frames and admire your work!

I love the bold, fun statement this collage makes in my family room!

It is amazing what a new photo arrangement (and a quick rearrangement of the furniture) can do to a room!

What do you think?