You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a nice gallery wall.  Here’s an inexpensive way to make a stunning display.

Small Gallery Wall in my craft studio

First, choose a frame style that appeals to you.  It’s best to choose the same molding or at least the same color for all your frames.   The one thing that best brings together a gallery wall is uniformity.  Not all the images or frames need to be the same size or style, but if they are all the same color and all use the same color mat, it helps the wall look more cohesive.

I’m going to show you two different examples.  The first is a simple black frame.  I found these frames at Michael’s, and if you wait for a 50% off sale AND combine it with an extra 25% off frames coupon, you can buy a bunch of frames for very little money.  I think each of these 8 by 10 black frames (matted to a 5 by 7 image size) cost $7.50 each.  Another great source for cheap frames is Ikea.

Framed Calendar Print (top)

Many people have great family or vacation photos that they want to use in a gallery wall, but what if you don’t?  Or, what if you’d prefer to have something more artistic and curated, or less personal?  Etsy is a great source for original art work at great prices, but if you’re still clueless where to start, think simple.

Ansel Adams Calendar

Calendar art is a great place to start– you can find a multitude of artists with some of their best work already curated.  I found this old calendar of Ansel Adams work, and it’s full of beautiful black and white images that are nearly the right size.  Choose your favorites, cut them out and position them in the mat window, tape down and voila!  Instant art gallery!

Framed Calendar Print (middle)

The other frames I’m going to show you are silver frames- the first frame is from Michael’s:

Framed Calendar Page

I think the images look really nice with a modern silver frame.  The next frame is from Ikea:

Vase with Adams print

Ribba frames from Ikea come in a bunch of different sizes, and have a simple, modern look.  They are priced extremely reasonably as well- this one was about $5 I think!

The point is, there are lots of different sources for art- it doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be something that you love to look at.