I always enjoy my kids art but finding the right way to display them always was a challenge. Want to transform the stack of original kid creations into a display that honours the artwork and looks good in your home? You can even make it easy to switch out as your children create new art or their art style develops and changes.
- You can have your favourite kids art pieces turned into posters with Itsay Art.
- You can hunt for frames at Thrift shops or
- buy your own frames.
- Use a sheet of cork board, you can build a frame around this as well
- For a more cohesive look, use inexpensive frames that match.
- Use a hanging display wire, you can use a wire curtain rod system to display the art.
- Just clip the art to a wire that is stretched between a couple of hook-eye screws.
- Use pant hangers
- Make a kids art book- for sure this will be a prized possession.
- Use an app to photograph your children’s artwork from your phone and tag it with names and dates and descriptions. Then print a book with the images
- Use art for wrapping paper
- Make cards with art – a great way to reuse and repurpose
Once you have a nice collection of pieces, here is some helpful hints on how best to hang them in your home. Don’t look to put a single piece of art but rather a collection. Create a whole wall of art. Think about those cold and dingy hallways that allow you to move from room to room. The untapped potential for a gallery wall of art is… well, exciting and something you can do.
Choose Your Wall
- Keep the wall colour neutral to allow the art to be the focus OR use a bold accent wall colour to use as a backdrop for your art.
- Be intentional and use the majority of the wall space.
How Can I Organize My Collection?
- Group by Theme: Portraits, landscapes, children’s artwork, abstracts, or photographs – each theme should all be grouped together.
- Group by Colour: Artwork is an additional accessory and its colours should also be found in the space in soft fabrics, furniture, rugs, and wall colour.
- Group by Frames: Keep the frames all the same style and colour, or vary the frames and keep the theme the focus. Either way will work in creating an intentional collection.
Where to Start?
- Choose 2 or 3 larger pieces to anchor the collection – fill in with smaller pieces of art.
- Create a layout on the floor first and take photos so you have a visual reminder of the placement of your pieces when you move them from the floor to the wall.
- You may want to view your photos before moving them to better visualize your collection once it’s on the wall.
HEIGHT – Art Walls Above No Furniture:
- Hang a single piece 60″H – or approximate eye level and centered on the wall
- Hang multiple frames stacked on top of one another by measuring all the frames as a whole first, then mount them 60″H from the center of the whole to the floor
- Stick to this rule no matter what your own height is
HEIGHT – Art Walls Above Furniture:
- Hang art low enough so the art and furniture feel like a cohesive single piece and visually connect as a whole.
- Position the bottom of the frame between 6″ – 10″ above the top of the furniture.
- Start from the center of the furniture and move out.
Final Hanging Tips:
- Resist the urge to hang together every piece of art you own. Ask yourself “what is the story I want to tell?” Group each story together on one wall. Tell other stories throughout your home.
- Protect your art from direct sunlight and warm lighting.
- Utilize your hallway spaces, powder rooms, even walk-in closets.
- Hang your art within 6″ – 10″ above the top of furniture or anything that will be under your art.
- Hang your gallery as a single piece from 60″H from the center of the whole to the floor.
Now sit back and enjoy the pleasures of your gallery!!
By Reisa Schwartzman, Griddly Games
