How to create a photo collage wall

If you're hanging out on pinterest (and if you're not you should be) then you've probably pinned a few photo wall collages. I've got half a dozen if not more. People often ask me and assume that since I'm a photographer I've got photos all over my house and I have to admit that I never had a ton of my favorite images surrounding me. I've got large canvas prints in the kids rooms and some other small frames around but I was ashamed to say that I didn't have a ton of my favorite photos on my walls. That has now changed.

I knew that I had the frames to pull off a photo collage wall but wasn't sure how it'd go over with my husband. I knew that if I took my time and did it right we could totally pull off a photo collage wall in our (rental) home. We didn't have a big hallway in our old house so something like this wouldn't have worked (except maybe in a bedroom). I was trying to figure out which configuration would work best when I decided to take it all a step further and measure everything and use a grid to lay the whole project out. You can get by without the grid paper step but it really helped me figure out which of the many frames I wanted where.

So in 5ish easy steps here's how to make your own photo collage wall...

1. Measure your wall and all your frames (you need to know what you're working with)
if you want to go as far as I did map everything out on grid paper...one square=one inch for me (it was just the easiest way for me to do it)

Move things around and make sure you have the best configuration. Don't forget to include light switches or thermostat boxes that are on your wall.
I labeled each piece of paper that represented a frame with the size and a description of the photo in the frame so I knew which ones went where, this proved very helpful later on.


1a. If you don't want to take the extra step of the grid paper you can just lay your frames out on the floor and see if you like how it looks. This works well if you can do all the steps in one day and if you don't have little curious children hanging around!


2. Cut a piece of paper to the size of your frame. Line the paper up with the back of the frame and with a crayon rub over the back of the frame where the hangers are. That way you'll know exactly where to put the nail and you'll have a straight line!

3. Tape the papers to the wall where you want the frames to hang. Use a level to make sure your line is straight.

4. Hammer your nails right through the paper where the hangers of the frame are...and you know right where they are because you rubbed over the hangers with crayon!

or have your handsome hubby hammer the nails for you! (then they can take stock in the project as well).
5. Take the paper off the wall and hang your frames.

6. Stand back and bask in the glorious photo collage wall that you've just created!

Somewhere along the line my measurements of the hanging paper were not pinpoint precise but I'm not a perfectionist so it doesn't bother me too much that the line is not COMPLETELY straight on the bottom.

I smile every time I look at my photo wall. I LOVE it. I know we won't live here very long but I can tell you that my next home WILL have a hallway that will be awesome for a photo wall because it makes me that happy!! I still need to change out some of the photos that I am waiting on to be printed but I just had to share this with you now!!

And look, now we don't have to look at the thermostat box anymore!!! clever hey?!
LOVE IT! Do you have a photo wall? I'd love to see it! I have a few others in the works in the kids bedrooms and I'll make sure to share them when I have them completed!

And don't worry...you still have time to enter the My Memories Suite Giveaway (along with a few other great giveaways). It's easy to enter and someone has to win, it might as well be you! These are FREE gifts people! FREE. This would be great to help you create beautiful layouts to put in your photo collage wall!!!!