How to Make a Gallery Wall - Tips & Ideas

Let's talk Gallery Walls. We've been teaching people how to do them for awhile. In fact, we have great tips on Laying Out and Designing a Gallery Wall. As well as, the 5 Tips You Need To Know to Make a Gallery Wall Like a Designer.

Now I'm putting those tips into practice in our own home. I took items from our stock and things we've created to design a unique Gallery Wall in our Dining Room.

I thought you'd like a tour.

I started with a focal piece. These are galvanized and rusty elevator bins from a Grain Elevator. I attached them to a piece of barn wood and filled them with faux succulents. I love this look. I knew I wanted it to be the main element on the wall. It has texture, depth and color.

And yes, those are a pair of deer antlers. Why? Because I can. And because I like them. They're rustic, but look soft with the succulents. It works and it makes me happy.

My layout is pretty fluid. It's not perfect by any means. But it is something I can add to and take away from as needed or inspiration allows. Maybe next month I'll find or make the perfect item that would work better. I think so many people get caught up on the perfection of projects like this. Sometimes you just need to jump in. Experiment. Nothing bad is going to happen if it doesn't look right. At least you will have tried.

This was a hand painted sign I made quite awhile ago. I've been holding on to it, because I was trying to find the right place for it. Now it has a home. The black looks good against the neutral color of the wall, too.

The next element I added was these Fruit Basket Lids. I got a huge lot of them at an Amish Auction in north western Missouri this past Summer. Sometimes it's really fun to use unusual items when decorating. I loved the shape, color and texture of the lids. They'd also look great with a small wreath or flowers hung on them.

This one still has the stamp from the original orchard. So cool. Remember, we always say "Every Piece Has a Story". It's so true. This lid was used for Prunes.

For the other lid, I made a quick sign out of plain Pine. It was painted white for the base, then with Amy Howard in Black. The "hello" was done using my new favorite sign making tools, Chalk Couture. They're reusable silk screen Transfers that can be used over and over again. Some up to 20-40 times each. I made this one in about 2 minutes using the Elephant Gray Chalk Paste.

There are a ton of Transfer designs. Plus, there's no commitment when you just want to buy a few at a time. You can see them all here. Or you can read the article I wrote, "How To Make Signs and Home Decor Without Vinyl or a Cutting Machine" where you can learn about the products and see some videos where I show you how to use them. This has seriously revolutionized how we make Signs and Home Decor. I can't say enough about this product. So cool!

You can also go to our FAQ Chalk Couture videos on our website. It will give you the basics about how they work.

I also knew I wanted to use the Rustic Clipboards we made from reclaimed barn wood. We used pages from an old book with some succulents, but you could add pictures, recipes, etc... on them. I initially wanted to hang two vertically in this space, but it didn't work for the layout. I can live with them being separated on the wall.

This was another fun find from the same Amish Auction but from last Summer. Do you know what it is? You guessed it! It's a hat rack. Can you imagine all the Amish hats and bonnets that hung from it? Again, another item with a story to tell.

I love the color and patina on this piece of moulding. It's one of the top corner pieces from the trim around an old door. These were sometimes handcrafted. The paint has been stripped away from this particular piece. They were almost always stained or painted. Some faux painters work hours trying to achieve this finish. It's a good balance and color for this Gallery Wall.

My last element for the Gallery Wall is another sign I made with a Transfer from Chalk Couture. It's a wood slice painted in Amy Howard in Black. The lettering is also in Elephant Grey Chalk Paste. This one took me less than 5 minutes to make. Try to include items that have a personal meaning to you when designing your Gallery Wall. This is precious to me because it's a verse my sweet mother-in-law quotes often. It makes me think of her. I love it!

Check out how easy it is to make these Chalk Couture signs and home decor.