Hanging a gallery wall is a fantastic way to showcase a group of artwork, photos, or objects. Browse our Styling a Gallery Wall article for inspiration. Find more home decor inspiration in out Why to Hang a Gallery Wall article.

1. Choose the Space to Fill

Start by determining the space on the wall you would like to fill and measure the height and width of that space.

Cut kraft paper to be the same size as the space measured and lay it on the floor. It is important that the paper be the same outer dimension as the space you want to fill on the wall. You can buy kraft paper on a roll and tape pieces together to create the correct size.

2. Select and Gather the Pieces

Choose the artwork, photos, or even objects you want to display. The items should have at least one common theme. The theme could be visual like color or style – for example nature themed artwork. The theme could also be personal – like family photos, artwork collected on a vacation or from a time period in your life.

As a starting point, physically collect the items into one location where you look at all of them together near the kraft paper cut in step 1. Don’t worry too much about the arrangement at this point. Start with many more pieces than you think you can fit in the allocated space. The items collected don’t need to be the same size or shape.

3. Make the Layout

Choose the focal point and make a mark on the paper. Are you going for an asymmetrical or balanced look? Consider the furniture and architectural elements around the selected space when choosing the focal point. It may helpful to make horizontal and vertical lines on the paper to clearly illustrate the center.

Start experimenting with different arrangements by laying the artwork on the kraft paper. If you need inspiration, see our Styling a Gallery Wall post. Start with the largest piece or the boldest piece if they are all the same size. Place the largest or boldest piece centered on your focal point. Don’t worry about the spacing to begin with.

This is where it becomes helpful the have more pieces than you need. Some won’t make visual sense in the final layout.

Once you determine the basic layout, you can fine tune it. In general the artwork should have 2-3 inches between horizontally and vertically. Evenly space items that are the same size. Use an object that is 2-3 inches wide to quickly space items. Even spacing is not as important for items that vary in size and shape.

The artworks should extend to the edge of the kraft paper on all four sides. Also make sure all items are parallel to the edge of the paper. This will help with placing the artwork straight on the wall.

4. Create a Template

Trace a box around each item. Be sure to use a different writing utensil than any guide lines you made on the layout.

As you remove the items from the brown paper, notate which item goes in that space.

Measure the distance between the top of the frame and the hanging hardware (e.g., the wire or sawtooth hanger). Mark the location of the hanging hardware. It is important to make a precise measurement if you want the artwork spaced perfectly.

You can skip the notation of the hook or wire if you are hanging the artworks using Command adhesive strips. When using Command adhesive strips, instead of marking the location of the hook or wire, cut out the boxes where the artwork should go. I only recommend using Command adhesive strips with objects smaller than 11 by 14 inches that do not have glass.

The kraft paper layout is now ready to be placed on the wall.

5. Hang the Artwork

Place the kraft paper layout on the wall exactly using blue painter’s tape. It is important that the kraft paper layout is straight. Use a level to determine if it is straight.

Install the picture hanging hooks, nails, or other appropriate hardware for the weight of each piece into the wall using the kraft paper template as a guide to the location of the hardware. You can remove the kraft paper when all hanging hardware is installed.

Hang each piece according to your template, starting from the center and working outward. Be sure to use a level to ensure that the pieces hang straight.

6. Share your Hard Work!

Add a photo of your gallery wall in the comments below.