DIY Vintage Farmhouse Gallery Wall

Gallery walls are a great way to add vintage charm and character to any home.  I will share how to create the perfect gallery wall in your home.

DIY Farmhouse Vintage Gallery Wall

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What is a Gallery Wall?

A gallery wall is a curated collection of items organized in a creative way, almost like a puzzle, and hung on the wall.  Gallery walls not only add character and charm to your home, but they are also great conversation starters.

Thinking about creating a gallery wall can be intimidating.  After all, it is a bit of a commitment because you will likely have to add at least a few holes in your wall to hang larger items.  I will take you through step by step how to create a gallery wall, tricks I use to get it right the first time, how to hang just about anything to your wall, and alternatives to using screws or nails when possible.

DIY Vintage Farmhouse Gallery Wall Preparation

Step 1:

Find the perfect place for a gallery wall.  The picture above shows the space I was working with for this project.

Step 2:

Gather your items.  I chose to use vintage items I already owned, but you could use anything.  Some examples are art work, kids art, peg rails/ hooks, baskets, wreaths, mirrors, small rugs/textiles, books, ect.  Think outside the box.  Walk around your house and look at things in a different perspective; “Could that be hung on a wall and does it make me happy when I see it?”

Above are the items I collected.  I added and removed a few more once I got started.

Step 3:

Measure the space on the wall that you want to fill and use craft paper, wrapping paper, or even painters tape to create the shape and size of the area you want to fill.  Lay it out (or tape it off) on the floor like I did above.

Step 4:

Start by laying out your largest items that you want to be sure to include.

Step 5:

Use smaller items to start filling in the blank spots of your gallery wall.  Continue to fill in any gaps until you have everything placed where you like.

Don’t be afraid to play around and move items around.  That is why you want to lay it out on the floor before hanging it.  This will prevent accidental and unnecessary holes in the wall when you go to hang every thing.

Step 6:

Once you have everything laid out the way you like it is time to start hanging each item to the wall.  To do this, I started with my larger items, measuring where they fell on the craft paper and using those measurements to correctly place them on the wall.  I then filled in around them with the smaller items.

Starting with your larger items gives you a solid starting point and allows you a solid outline when filling in with the smaller items.  If you put the time into measuring out the larger items, you will be able to eyeball the smaller ones and still have a nice looking, balanced gallery wall.

A Completed DIY Gallery Wall

That’s it!  Once you’ve hung all of your items your gallery wall is complete.  Gallery walls can range any where from a few items to hundreds, depending on your preference and available space.  You can also add to gallery walls over time.

Remember to be patient when creating a gallery wall.  The planning, preparation, and hanging all take time, but the end result is so worth it!

How to hang just about anything from your wall

What makes gallery walls unique is that they typically include items that wouldn’t traditionally be hung from a wall.  Here are a few tricks to hang some of these unique items.

I included books in my gallery wall by wrapping them tightly with twine.  The twine holds the book shut when on the wall and also provides a way to hook it onto a command strip or picture hanger.  I use THESE a lot because they hold up to 50 pounds and only require a small nail hole.  However, for smaller, lighter items THESE small pins would work perfect!  Command hooks are also always great for light items.  For light, flat items, you could also use command strips.

To hang this light chippy spindle, I just tied twine around it and made a loop on the back.  I could then attach the loop to a nail.  However, I would recommend using a small tack or small command hook. I also like using THESE cut tacks for small items because they look antique.

Another way to avoid putting additional nails in the wall is by attaching items to things you’ve already hung.  For example, I hung these antlers by wrapping them in twine and then securing the twine to my wooden drawer using a small tack.

To hang this giant antique corbel I attached two saw tooth holders to the back.  I attached one at the top and another on the angle piece so once it was hung it would sit level and not swing (since the weight isn’t naturally balanced).

I also used saw tooth holders on the back of these chunky spindles, worked like a charm!

My last trick for hanging lighter items is to use mounting putty.  I always keep this on hand because it comes in handy so much!  It is perfect for hanging lighter items, like the rulers on this gallery wall.  I even use it to secure curtain rods so they don’t shift when I open and close the curtains; but that is getting off topic!

Decorating around your farmhouse gallery wall

Since I don’t plan on changing up my gallery wall any time in the near future, I wanted the decor around it to be easily changed up.  I added a vintage table underneath that allows me to add an additional layer of decor underneath my gallery wall.  This decor can easily be changed, giving the whole space a fresh look!

A close up of my vintage rug.  I wasn’t sure where I would put it when I found it at the thrift store but I loved the rich but muted colors in it.  I am so happy my friend talked me into getting it because it looks perfect in this space!     

 

DIY Vintage Farmhouse Gallery Wall Summary

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by the blog, it means the world to me that you are here!  I hope you found this post helpful and inspired you to add a gallery wall to your home.  I hope this post also answered questions you may have had about how to create your own gallery wall, but if you have other questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below!