How to Decorate with Family Pictures

Old family pictures are charming and must be hung on the walls for all to enjoy.

Decorating with family pictures can seem a little daunting, but it really isn’t too hard when you know a few tricks. Here are some tips to selecting photographs and frames, and arranging and actually hanging them on the wall.

What to Hang On the Wall

One of the most meaningful decorating ideas is old, vintage family photos hanging on the wall. Don’t limit yourself to most recent family photos, although those are good too – go way back. Talk to Grandma and see if you can get images of her and Grandpa when they were young. Even baby pictures can be interesting to put up. Family history photos are a great way to remind you and your family of their roots. 

Whatever time period you get your photos from – now or way back when – select which pictures will be best on the wall and group them together because they have something in common. Hint: choose your picture groupings based on a common theme. 

Frames

After you have selected your photos and had them printed or copied—preferably by a professional because they will look better—go to a thrift store and see what frames they have that will fit your pictures. Remember that you are looking at the frame, not the print from the ‘90’s that’s inside the frame. Also, keep in mind that most frames can be painted.

Once you have your frames, decide if you want to paint them. Black is a fantastic color for picture frames and gives mix-n-match frames a classy look. You may paint your frames any way you like. Lining them up on newspaper and spray painting them is going to be fastest.

If the idea of treasure hunting at a thrift store and painting doesn’t thrill you, then go to a craft store and select frames to fit your needs. That will save you time and effort because you can choose the frames that match each other.

Photo Arrangement

A cluster or grouping of pictures can be the most daunting project. The frames are usually different shapes and sizes and there is generally some challenge in the way, like a thermostat device. Photos can be arranged by style, subject, side of the family, or any other theme that stands out to you.

Hanging Photos

For the last picture hanging project I helped my mom with, I arranged her frames photos on the floor to determine what looked best and then used the trial and error method. I haphazardly began to hold up a photo on the wall and would leave a pencil mark. While I did get the photos on the wall, there are behind the photos more incorrect pencil marks than I would like to admit to.

Ideally you will have photos in your frames before you begin arranging them, what’s in the frames may influence how they are arranged.

Hindsight is 20/20 and that being the case, I recommend the method described by the Harvard Homemaker; in her post “Hang a Wall Gallery with Ease,” she uses craft paper and traces the canvases she wanted to hang on the wall. She cut out these pieces, aligned them with their canvas and pressed her finger against the Sawtooth hanger to show her where the nail needed to be placed. Using a pen, she marked a spot under the indentation on the craft paper in the middle and directly under the Sawtooth hanger.

This next step is probably the only part I got right on my last project. She arranged here photographs (they were printed on canvas) on the floor. Then she took the paper and taped it to the wall in the same arrangement that was on the floor. Please note that she used a level to assure that each piece was straight. Using the pen mark she had previously made, she put the nails into the wall right through the paper. This is a great method and will help you to arrange the frames with less trouble and greater accuracy.

There are a few more things to keep in mind when hanging photos on the wall. The weight of the piece you are hanging will effect where you can hang it. What I mean by this is that drywall is not made to hold up a significant amount of weight, so if your wall hanging is heavy at all, then you need to make sure you drive the nail into the studs behind the drywall because those are solid wood and can take the weight.

Also, use proper wall hanging hardware, like a pin-and-hook-hanger that can help to prevent damage to the walls too. There are a lot of alternative wall hanging devices available including drywall hangers and command hooks. Determine what will be best suited to your needs.

Contact Five Star Painting

To learn tips and tricks about the best paint color that goes with your photos, or to learn more about our interior residential painting, contact the Five Star Painting professionals today!