8 Steps to Creating an Eclectic Gallery Wall

If you love eclectic gallery walls to display art collections and you wish to create your own but you don't know where to start, this guide will help you achieve just that!

What is an Eclectic Gallery Wall?

An eclectic gallery wall is a creative way to display various types of art and imagery together, instead of just hanging pictures around your home on separate walls. All of your pieces can be displayed collectively together. The idea however, can seem daunting as you're not just hanging a picture, you are curating your display. It's ideal for art collectors and that also includes those of us who collect postcards, greeting card imagery and photos we love to see, which is what the eclectic gallery wall is all about. When we collect art and imagery, we want to see it. The eclectic gallery wall is also ideal for artists! A good way to view our pieces and display the ones we are proud of and/or want to see more of. An eclectic gallery wall can also be a feature within a space, as well as a talking point.

Ready to start? Here are the steps you can take to create your own eclectic gallery wall:

1. Choose your wall space – where would you like to see your imagery? Are you wanting to create a statement wall art display in your living room for example, or perhaps you wish to see all of the calming and serene pictures you have collected on a wall in your bedroom. You can have them all over your home, anywhere you like if you have the space and the art!

2. Gather all of the art/images you wish to display. Start by searching through what you wish to include based on what you love to look at and which sizes will work. Your collection for display can include original art, paintings, drawings prints, postcards, greeting cards, posters, photographs, anything you feel you want to look at and love. You can also include framed scraps of fabric, wallpaper, gift wrap etc., as well as embroidery hoops with the work in it. Some of your collection may be unframed canvases as well as framed pieces. You may already have your pieces ready to hang, however if not you will need to spend some time obtaining frames for the pieces you wish to display.

3. Collect frames of different sizes from various sources, including charity shops and flea markets for more original and eclectic styles. When choosing frames look out for ones with mounts/matting included and keep some of the pieces you wish to display in mind. Tip: If you know exactly what pieces you wish to use, measure them and make a note for when you go frame hunting.

4. Play around with matching frames with images and frame your pieces: picture framing is very straight forward when frames are purchased brand new with the mounts/mats, it is just a case of measuring correctly! However if you purchase second hand frames this may not be the case. Seek professional advice if necessary from a professional framer.

5. Collect all of your ready to hang pieces together: aim for pieces varied in size to each other keeping in mind the size of your wall space. Think about whether colour composition is important: If you are wanting to tie your images in with your room's colour scheme, be sure to choose images and frames that will fit in with it and what colours within the images work with your scheme.

6. Start arranging: this is your opportunity to curate your own display. Use the floor, a large table or even your bed to view your collection and move things around. Using the floor will be the best option as you will be able to see your images better from a slight distance. Think about interesting contrasts in colours, content and textures, varying between simple shapes to more intricate detailed images and designs. Tip: For inspiration, Pinterest is always ideal, just type in "eclectic gallery wall" and plenty of ideas will pop up!

7. When you're happy with the layout of your eclectic gallery wall art display photograph it to refer to as you are hanging them.

8. Use Command Strips or strong nano tape to attach the pictures to the wall, both are easy to remove and less of a commitment compared to hammering nails into walls! Tip: use a spirit level for each frame/piece to make sure they are all straight, however the overall layout and spacing is up to you.

So now that you have an idea of where to start, why not gather your images and frames together and create your own eclectic gallery wall. Have fun!