This post is all about gallery walls, the what, why, and how. I’ve included everything you need to know to create the perfect one on a budget.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.
What are gallery walls?
According to the Washington Post, gallery walls are
“a collection of items: framed artwork, photographs, and personal treasures hung in a grouping”.
Washington post
You’ve probably seen a wide variety of gallery walls on your Pinterest feed. They can either be a grouping of personal photos or an eclectic gathering of artwork. They can either be placed in an organized fashion with all the same frame sizes or a mixture of different frame sizes placed in a unique, disorganized fashion. Gallery walls are an expression of art and a reflection of your personal style. This is the exact reason why they are PERFECT for decorating your apartment.
Why are gallery walls the perfect way to decorate your apartment?
Having a gallery wall in your apartment is an ideal way to fill up some empty wall space. As mentioned above, they are perfect for adding a personal touch and are a reflection of your own style.
Apartments can often feel very “apartment-y” if you know what I mean. It definitely takes time to make it feel like a home. An easy way to do that is through a gallery wall of your own personal photos or even some of your favorite artwork (you can even mix & match to have them both)!
Another reason as to why this would be the perfect addition to your apartment décor is that it could be very budget-friendly if done RIGHT. Let me walk you through how to do that now along with some of my best tips for creating a gallery wall…
How to create a gallery wall on a budget
The first thing you need to decide when creating a gallery wall is the style and type you’re going for. For simplicity, there are usually two distinct types of gallery walls people are creating.
Style 1: simple frames, all the same size, placed in an organized fashion, filled with personal photos
Style 2: a variety of frames, all of different colors/textures/sizes, placed in a disorganized fashion, often filled with artwork
It is often more budget-friendly to create Style 1, therefore I will be using this style for reference in my instructional steps below. However, I do love a good eclectic gallery wall and I do believe they can be done while keeping a budget in mind. I will share some of my tips to do so at the very end, so scroll to check those out!!
But let’s get into a step-by-step guide on creating a budget-friendly gallery wall (specifically for Style 1)…
Creating Gallery Walls on a Budget – Step 1: Frames
With this kind of gallery wall, simple frames are required. The good thing is they will all be the same, so you can most likely buy them in a set! This totally depends on personal preference, but I love a thin frame. I think it gives a nice clean, elegant, and modern look to your gallery wall. I also think thin frames look more high-end and expensive (even when they’re not).
In terms of color, you can either stick with neutrals (wood tone, black, or white) or you could go for color if that fits your design style better.
Here are some of my favorite places to look for CHEAP frames:
HomeGoods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls
I purchased my frames for my gallery wall from HomeGoods and I absolutely love them! I knew I wanted to do Style 1 so when I stumbled upon a set of 9 frames for $79.99, it was PERFECT. That’s less than $10 per frame and I could get all the frames at once (which made it super convenient).
I’ve linked it here, although it’s not always on the HomeGoods site. I would recommend checking each website, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls because they’ll have different things on each site. They also usually have tons of options in-store with a bunch of different colors from black to light beige wood. They also have different sizes and frames that are either matted or floating.
IKEA
The next place I would recommend looking is IKEA. They have some great options that are also super cheap. If you’re looking to recreate Style 1 or something similar to my gallery wall, the HOVSTA frame might be for you. It’s just at $10 per frame (12¼ x 16¼), matted, and super thin (making it look more expensive than it actually is). It comes in both a dark brown (basically black) and light wood color. IKEA also has different sizes of this frame as well!
Target
Next, take a look at Target. They have some great gallery wall sets. I’ve linked a few options below, specifically ones that are black and matted. They also have these sets with floating frames and some sets come in a brass color option. They’re at a really great price and would 100% recommend if this style is what you’re looking for!!
Walmart
I totally forgot about Walmart until someone on TikTok commented on my post and reminded me! This is another great place to look for some gallery wall frames. Their website has a ton of different options. I found this one linked here and it’s a pretty good deal!! It’s essentially the same size and color as mine, and it also has the mat. I can’t vouch for the quality, but if you’re in the market for picture frame sets, definitely check Walmart out.
Creating Gallery Walls on a Budget – Step 2: Photos
This next step is fairly easy and super cheap. Simply pick out the photos you want to use for your gallery wall and get them printed. You can either go to your local Walgreens or CVS and get them printed there. The quality isn’t always the best, but it’s super cheap and they ALWAYS have some sort of sale going on.
If quality is super important to you, I would check out a site called mpix. It’s essentially the same price as your local drug store without that 50% off that they usually offer. For 1-10 standard 8x10s, it is $3.29 per print. The price decreases as the number of prints increases! The prints are also on their E-Surface Paper (essentially their standard photo finish). Quality prints for a great price, you can’t go wrong!!
Creating Gallery Walls on a Budget – Step 3: Hanging
Once you acquire your frames and prints, all that’s left is assembly! Which can arguably be the hardest part. It took my boyfriend and me almost a whole day and resulted in a few arguments (lol), but we survived and got a great-looking gallery wall out of it!
You should definitely get a leveler if you’re able to! It comes in handy, especially if the slightest tilt would bother you (because it would totally bother me 😂). I got a super small one from Amazon, linked here. You can definitely use this if you plan on hanging any other picture frames or artwork in the future.
From there, I’d honestly just go for it. The more you try to plan it out, the more frustrating the process can get (in my opinion). I would start with the bottom left or right corner and go from there. If you’re a detailed person, it might be helpful to use a measuring tape and measure the distance between the frames. It might not be 100% perfect, but it will ensure everything looks nice and even.
When it comes to the actual hanging of the frames you can either use a hammer and nail or go with the more apartment-friendly version I used!
APARTMENT FRIENDLY DÉCOR HACK: Use Command Strips for hanging your picture frames!
Command has these picture-hanging strips that are literally AMAZING (linked here). I used them to hang my entire gallery wall and have had no problems with it so far. The frames have stayed in place, they create a seamless look, and the instructions are insanely easy to follow. If you’re hanging ANYTHING in your apartment, you NEED TO GET THESE.
If you’ve made it all the way to the end…
I hope you found this post helpful and can use some of these tips when creating a budget-friendly gallery wall in your apartment. Check out my previous blog post, Top 10 Cleaning Products: Lifesavers You Need to Know, for more of my content. Happy decorating everyone ❤️.
Leave a Reply