DIY: Creating your own Wall Collage

Been looking at any design magazines lately or perhaps browsing Pinterest? Then you probably have taken note of the resurgence in popularity of wall collages. Big, small, eclectic or uniform, the great thing about wall collages is that you can really create them to enhance your style and decor.

So today I am going to walk you through what I did to create this wall collage in my bedroom. It is one of my favorite walls in my house. Not only because I have the pictures of the people I love most included but I was also able to incorporate some of my jewelry into the collage so it stays organized.

First, I purchased all the frames. The white rectangle frames are from Ikea, for $2.00 each. Majority of the other frames I purchased at Michaels with coupons or when they were having a really good sale, including the shadow boxes. I also had a few random frames lying around that I never used since moving back to Cincinnati a few years ago.

Second, I spread out all the frames on the floor to get an idea of how I wanted to have them displayed on the wall.

*Tip: If you still can’t seem to visualize how the frames are going to look like on the wall, try using paper, cut to the size of the frames, and tape it to the wall using painters tape. [Image courtesy of Better Home & Gardens]

Third Step: Once I decided how I wanted the collage to hang on the wall, I called in my husband to help me hang the frames. (Ok, let me be honest. He did all the hanging work because level or not, nothing I hang seems to be centered or level.)

We decided to hang the frames without the artwork or photographs in them, then I added pictures one by one.

I really wanted to have this wall collage in the bedroom because again, I wanted to somehow incorporate my favorite most-worn accessories into the display. Using shadow boxes, I was able to create the perfect jewelry displays, but I am going to leave that for another DIY Tuesday project.

We also hung a floating wall shelf just below the collage so I can display some of my other favorite trinkets and belongings.

The great thing about wall collages is that they’re really no rules. However, if you still feel like you need a little guidance, here are a few tips:

• Unless you are going for a crazy wild look, try to keep your frames all the same shape, color scheme or subject. The more formal you want your collage to be, the more I suggest sticking to these rules. For me, went for the more “eclectic” look.

• Think about spacing. This will depend on how big of an area you are working with, how many pieces of art you choose to hang and the size of the frames you are using. It seems like the closer together the frames are, the more cluttered the wall collage will look.

• When hanging the frames, start in the center and work your way out. Step back often to make sure everything is level and where you want it.

[Originally written for cincysavers.com. For more of the DIY projects I've completed, head on over to cincysavers.com and search under DIY Tuesdays]