DIY Gallery Wall with Custom Art
In the last post, I added some interest to this blank wall with picture frame molding, and this time I’m going to be adding another layer of interest with a gallery wall with custom art using my Cricut. This space also doubles as a homeschool area for my boys so it had to not only be beautiful, but functional (check out the video to see the homeschool setup!).
FTC: This video was created in paid partnership with Cricut
Difficulty: Easy
Materials Needed for this project:
Picture Frames (I thrifted mine at the GoodWill)
Paint, Stain, or Rub-N-Buff (along with rag to stain)
Joint Compound
80, 150, 220 grit sandpaper (if refinishing wood frames)
Family Photos (optional)
Removable Smart Vinyl (or any other kind of vinyl you choose)
Transfer Tape
Paper Bags
Tools Needed for this project:
Trowel
Cricut Smart Cutting Machine (I am using a Cricut Maker 3)
Weeding Tool
Burnishing Tool
Anchors and Anchor Screws
Drill
Hammer
W A T C H T H E V I D E O:
I N S T R U C T I O N S:
Before I assemble the frames on the wall, I took some paper bags I received from the grocery store and cut them to the size of the frames I’ll be using. I made sure to label both the bag and the frame so I know exactly where each one goes. I also suggest noting where the hooks are in order to drill later on in this post.
In my last blog post, I created a renter-friendly picture frame moulding wall and I wanted to add some more visual interest to this space with a gallery wall. Because our dinner table is in front of this gallery wall, I noted where I wanted the gallery wall to end (or begin depending on how you look at it) with some painter’s tape. I just sat on my dining chair and placed tape above my head for it to serve as a visual for me.
Now that I know my stopping point, I added the cut bags to the wall and arranged them until I was happy with how it looked.
I drilled holes for the frames and added anchor screws. I then added blank frames to visualize exactly how I wanted the frames to look.
I created a line-art like drawing of my husband and I on procreate, uploaded the PNG to Cricut Design Space, and cut out the image on my Cricut. This process is actually really cool and on top of the hundreds of fonts and images in Design Space, you’re able to upload the exact design you can imagine in your mind. The possibilities are truly endless here.
This cricut machine is incredibly fast, accurate, and detailed with the cuts it makes. There are some intricate cuts within this design and it nailed every single one of them. I’m truly impressed. I especially love the smart vinyl, which enables me to cut larger than usual designs (like this one).
The Cricut smart vinyl proved very easy to weed, and transfer to the frame.
Cricut has offered me such a wide array of options to decorate my gallery wall. I can swap the art pieces using their images in design space or opting to create my own.
Tips I have for creating a gallery wall:
Thrift your frames! I purchased all the frames I used in this tutorial for under $45 at goodwill. I even have more frames I ended up not using because it was too much, so that saved me so much. On average, the frames were $2 each.
Create a template for the frames - this helps minimize the holes you put on the walls
Create custom art with a smart cutting machine like Cricut or source art from free domains (or both!)
If you love this post, be sure to check out www.Cricut.com to shop for your own machine and materials.