DIY: Art Gallery Wall

I am addicted to pinterest, and if you've been on there, then you probably are too.  I really only browse through the diy and crafty tab, and have seen a few posts with the empty frame for artwork.  Well, I have decided to take it to the next level, just helps that I totally scored on the frames too! :o)

My daughter is 5, and is an avid artist.  Before this new project, there was a wire strung on her wall with little clips to hang the art work on, it worked, but it wasn't "working" for me anymore.

It had to change... and I am in LOVE with the new art wall.  Here's a preview...

Did I mention that I LOVE LOVE LOVE it? 

So here's what I did.... Frames can be sort of expensive, so I spent a few weeks searching those online websites like BooKoo and Craigslist, I definitely didn't want to spend a ton of money doing this project, and I didn't want to buy new frames.  I totally scored on these frames... I found these frames and about 20 more (maybe more than that) for $30.  $30!! SCORE.  They were just some old wood frames that were plain Jane, exactly what I was searching for.

I then traveled to a wallyworld store and picked up some spray paint, I picked them in a gloss finish because I wanted that shiny candy coated sort of feeling to go with them.  I had though I would go with the pink, blue and white originally, but they were out of white, so I chose a yellow... with the 3 pastel like colors I thought it would be sort of easter egg-ish with the purple walls, but I think it turned out perfectly.  I don't think that the white would have worked out so well after I saw the yellow on the wall.

As soon as I got home, literally, I HAD to start my project... a woman on a mission for sure.  I had to sand some of the finish off of the frames... oh a delay, not good... but I slightly sanded some of them (excited to start painting already) and then tested out a few... did you know that I LOVE this?! I'm also not that great at spray painting, but I guess I'll just have to do more projects to practice this :o)

I had a TON of frames... I initially had picked out 12 from the lady I bought them from, but she asked me how much I had to spend and then she basically gave me a whole box for free. The sun was starting to set already, I had driven all over to get everything... so I had to pack it up and save it for the next day, but then I was excited to get out of bed and not just lay around (love vacation and weekends!).

  I didn't waste anytime the next day, I wanted this project done, not one of those that just lays around waiting and waiting and waiting... I know I'm not the only one out there now!




Any who, paint paint paint... dry dry dry.... repaint, dry again... FINALLY... and then I had to clean up my daughters room... another delay.  But it didn't take too long and finally got to put the frames up.  I just nailed 2 nails to hold them up so that they'd always be level... like how I framed in the light switch? I plan on finding some cute paper and doing some mod podge on that to make it a work of art too. I thought it would look odd to not have it framed... so I did, and of course my daughter asked why I did it, but why not?!





 I didn't do any layout planning for this, I just put them up where I thought they looked right.  I found some cheap little clips at the dollar store, they had a magnet on the back, but I just popped it off with a screwdriver... and now I have 12 magnets to make another project.. hmmmm what WILL I do?!??

I just put a nail through the center hole in the clip and fixed it to the wall... I wont lie, I was somewhat hesitant to put soooo many holes in my walls... but eh, whatever, I own the house, so I'll do what I want right? Besides, when we go to sell this place maybe the cool art wall will distract the potential buyers from all the toys in the room, and the smallish size of the room too lol :o)

I'm seriously stoked on my, I mean, my daughters new art wall... just need some more pictures to hang in there, and a couple more clips too (I bought all the ones at my local dollar store, so now I need to go to another one... but I couldn't wait to share this with you all!)

Here is some of her work...

A portrait of Grandma (my momma)

Tinker bell.... not sure why her neck is so long, but it's a work of art :o)

Hope you love this as much as I do ,and that it inspires you to make your own art gallery wall!