I Made it Monday My Photo Gallery Wall

I Made it Monday

Early last summer I got a crazy idea to start posting regularly on Monday's at the least. I actually didn't just get the idea then, I had been toying with it for a while. I had big dreams of highlighting all kinds of projects that "I made!" every Monday. Sewing projects, craft projects, recipes, whatever I could think of. Well, around the same time that I made this grand plan we also made a grand plan as a family for my husband to change employers and my family to move over 850 miles and six states away. Well thought out, I know. It's a talent. My desire to regularly post on Monday's quickly went out the window because there isn't much to share when you're living in temporary housing, your entire household is in storage, and you spend your days looking at houses. Well, I guess there is, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. As quickly as my plan started it came to a screeching halt. In August we found a home (it only took looking at 31 other houses to find it), we registered the kids for school, my husband started to settle in at his new job, and we waited to close on our house. In September we closed on our new home and our household goods were delivered. I remember asking my husband then when he thought things would get "back to normal". After Christmas he said. After Christmas! I really thought he was kidding. I mean, there was no way it was going to take me that long to get things "back to normal". I'm an organized person. Surely he is mistaken I thought. Well, it's after Christmas and you know what? He was right. Absolutely, 100% right! There, I said it. I finally feel that we are back in a routine and things are relatively settled. We are still dealing with making the garage and shed "work" but the rest of the rooms are functioning, the holidays are packed away, and now we're working on making the house "ours". Of course Pinterest has filled my mind with images of hand made farm house tables and beautifully refinished kitchen cabinets but I'm in no rush. Well, maybe I am, but life tends to slow me down whether I like it or not. What is finally clear is that I have time to work. Create new designs. Craft. Sew. And today, get back to writing I Made it Monday posts. You won't be surprised to know that many will have a home renovation/decorating theme but I'll be sure to include crafting and sewing as well, just not today.

My Photo Gallery Wall

We've all seen them on Pinterest. Beautiful collections of photos and portraits in eclectic or matching frames, all perfectly aligned in straight rows or columns and occasionally even randomly arranged. If you're looking for absolute symmetry this isn't the post for you. It's just not what I was going for. I was really aiming for more of a "feeling" and not for perfection and it was easier to achieve than I expected.

Here's what I did ... With three daughters you can imagine that I have a lot of pictures and photos. What I also had was a lot of random picture frames. What I don't have is a picture of this part but it's easy to comprehend. If you want your picture frames to all be the same color don't go out and buy new ones. Spray paint the frames. Yes, spray paint. The crafter's best friend. I took off the backs and removed the glass in all of my frames, went outside and, you guessed it, spray painted them. They all got a nice coat of black then I did it again, because spray paint is even better with a second coat. After they were all dry and reassembled I worked on deciding how I wanted to arrange them. I knew that I wanted our 20th anniversary subway art (is it really subway art?) as the center but the rest I played with. I didn't want complete symmetry, just balance, if that makes any sense. I laid them out on the floor and just played around. When I was happy with the arrangement my husband helped me hang them on the wall. As you can tell they aren't evenly spaced. Generally they are between 2.5 to 3 inches apart but that really is "general". The only even line is the bottom line and that's because I didn't want anyone accidentally bumping into them when they were sitting on the couch. The trick to keeping them level once you've finished hanging them is Command Picture Hanging Strips. I don't have the guts to use them to actually hang my pictures but I am more than willing to use them to keep a picture in place. I don't put them on each corner, usually just one is enough to keep a picture from swinging every time someone slams a door. As a whole the project wasn't difficult at all, just a little time consuming, and the effect is exactly what I wanted. Balanced but not symmetrical and for heaven's sake, no particular child highlighted more than the other. What do you think? Have you tried something similar or have another idea? I have more pictures and more rooms so I can always use some inspiration.

I cannot tell you how difficult it was to get a picture straight on that was anything more than a giant "flash" from the reflection of the camera flash in the glass of the pictures or a reflection of the natural light from the windows directly across from the couch, hence this poorly lit, what is all that glare, no flash picture.

A relatively glare free side angle to help you see just how unsymmetrical things really are. The distortion of the picture makes a few frames seems as if they aren't level although they don't appear that way in real life.

My secret way to keep pictures level. 

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, as well as Facebook, and find my designs at Applique Time. Check back next week to see my next I Made it Monday post. I'll tell you now, it has something to do with The 12 Days of Christmas and over 800 "feathers". 

Regards,
Bridgette