How To Hang A Symmetrical Gallery Wall

Putting art and decor up on the walls in my house is honestly a struggle. There are just so many things you can do and I can never decide based off of what works best for the space and yada yada yada…

For instance, the wall in my dining room. I originally had some sort of wooden shelf/storage ‘thing’ hanging that I found while thrifting with Tammy. It was made out a wood pallet and I bought it for like $15.

It worked for the time being, but in the end, it wasn’t really pulling the two spaces in my dining room together and I wanted something a little bit more simplistic and modern.

And what better way to do that than a symmetrical gallery wall!

This post may contain affiliate links where we earn a small commission on your purchases at no additional cost to you.

SUPPLIES

• Kraft Paper or Tissue Paper
• Frames
• Monkey Hooks (These are good to hang wall art when there is no stud)
• Screws – Optional ( in case you hit a stud)

TOOLS

• Level
• Measuring Tape
• Scissors
• Stud Finder
• Pencil

STEP 1 – WHAT’S THE PLAN?

First and foremost, you need to decide on your frames. I went with these 16″x16″ white matted frames from Joann’s. I got them for about $23 a piece. So if they aren’t that price wait for a sale! For a smaller option, these 12×12 frames from Walmart would work as well!

Once your frames are picked, it’s time to plan out your wall. I double checked my frame size with my measuring tape and they were closer to 17″ than 16″. That was including the outside framing.

That being said, I drew up my plans on the computer. Measured the size of my wall to make sure I centered the frames as close to perfect as I can get. See my diagram and math genius skills below. 😉

Note: You can put your frames higher or lower to the floor based on your liking!

STEP 2 – FRAME YOUR WORKSPACE

What you’re going to want to do is basically make a rectangle on your wall to show where all the frames edges will touch. Essentially, framing in your workspace. I used a pencil to trace the lines on the wall. You could use painters tape instead of a pencil. I used a pencil because it was easier to hold the level and mark the lines at the same time. Plus, it’s still easy to erase off the wall.

STEP 3 – MOCK IT UP

Trace the frames you’re going to use on kraft paper or tissue paper and cut them out. Then, you can tape those pieces onto your wall with painters tape. This will give you a better sense of what it is going to look like hanging up. If you don’t like the placement, you can take this time to adjust.

STEP 4 – MEASURE FOR HANGING

If your frames don’t have hanging wire already, you can check out our recent post here on how to add it to your picture frames. I like to use hanging wire when hanging frames or artwork on the wall because it gives you some leeway to adjust after it’s hung.

From here, you’re going to measure the distance between your photo hanging wire (or your picture hanger) and the top of your frame. When your measuring, make sure your photo wire is pulled tightly towards the top of the frame to mimic it hanging on the wall. In my example below, it’s about a 2-inch distance. Now, you can mark 2 inches from the top of your ‘kraft paper frames’ that are taped on the wall.

Once you mark your distance on the kraft paper, that is where you can pierce your monkey hook into the wall. But, double check that there is no stud where you are piercing the monkey hook with your stud finder. If a stud happens to be exactly where you are placing it, you will need to drill a screw into the wall instead.

STEP 5 – REPEAT & HANG

From here, it’s just repeating Step 4 for the rest of your picture frames in the gallery wall. Once you have all your monkey hooks placed, then you can hang your frames.

And there you have it! Your very own symmetrical gallery wall! 🙂

If you’re trying to think of ideas for wall art in your home, a gallery wall should definitely be on your list!

Share This Project: