Hanging a Frame Collage Like a Pro

After yesterday's post about how much of a mess I can make in my living room, I feel like I should remind you that I actually do make my house look nice sometimes!

This is the most recent photo frame collage that Jesse helped me hang a few weeks ago.  Isn't it fun?  It's a collection of some of my favorite pictures from our anniversary trip last summer.  I'm going to use it as our wall to commemorate that trip, periodically switching out the shots so we get to enjoy all the great pictures (and memories) that we love.  It's 20 frames and I could literally fill them with just favorite shots of Paris.  Or Venice.  So yeah, I love rotating pics.

I'm not very Martha Stewart-y and my version of interior decorating falls mainly in the "I want to see and display some of these great photos I'm always taking".  This is my kitchen collage of food photography.  Kirsten (hi K!) helped me with it and taught me a brilliant way to hang photo collages... which I thought I'd share with you!

Side note: I painted and distressed the frames myself with sand paper.  Pretty simple.  I love the pop of my favorite color!  Oh yellow, how you thrill me.  

So here is Kirsten's excellent collage-hanging method:

1.  Measure the frames and cut out exact paper replicas.  I'll call them your shadows.

2.  Hang your paper shadows on the wall with tape or sticky tack or something that won't damage your paint.  This makes it easy to measure the exact spacing you want between photos.  And also make sure you're putting them up level.

3.  Speaking of level, use one.  I downloaded a free app for my iPod touch so I can have a mini version right in my back pocket.

4.  Step back and look at your collage to make sure you like it.  That's one of the main reasons I love this way of hanging frames... you can rearrange them if you don't like it at first!

5.  Flip your frames over and measure EXACTLY where the nail hole is.  Mark this on each of the paper shadows and hammer your nail right into the shadow!

6.  Hang your pictures on the wall and then either gently pull the papers out from under them or pull the papers off first. Sometimes it's good to leave the papers up so that if you step back and realize you made a mistake you can still move the papers around.

7.  Enjoy your photos!

Thanks Kirsten, for teaching me to fish in the framing department!  I love it!

If you're interested in these "frameless" frames, check out MCS Industries 4x6 frames , MCS Industries 5x7 frames , and MCS Industries 8x10 frames . All from amazon and very easy to use!