My Cheap and Easy Photo Wall

by hookedonhouses on July 15, 2008

Now, don’t get excited. This isn’t my hallway (I wish!), but one from the Sophia’s Harbor house at Homearama. This photo wall lent a personal touch to an impersonal house tour.

My photo wall along our upstairs hallway isn’t nearly as big, but I put together a smaller, cheaper version that I’m pretty pleased with.

Over at Restyled Home (one of my favorite blogs!), Linda is hosting a Perfectly Imperfect Week. Everyone is encouraged to show one of their less than ideal home projects. I decided to show you my humble photo wall project because I can just about guarantee that I spent only a tiny fraction of what the decorator shelled out for this home-show version.

I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on this project. After searching for weeks for affordable frames, I found a pile of them with white mats on a clearance shelf at Target. They were covered in red stickers and the final price was less than $2 for each. No kidding! I was so excited. I scooped up every single one they had.

The frames were dusty and a little beat up. Heck, they aren’t even metal–they’re plastic painted silver. Cheap-O, capital O. But I figured they would work in a pinch. This is just for an upstairs hallway, which is a less formal family space for us anyway. They don’t have to impress anybody.

I chose some of my favorite snapshots of my kids and had them printed out in black and white to fit the 5×7 and 8×10 frames. Then I hung them.

Voila! A photo wall completed in one weekend for less than $20 bucks.

The best part? Seeing these pictures makes me happy every time I walk up the stairs.

Have you done any projects around your house that are less than ideal but make you happy anyway? Join in the party! Go to Restyled Home for more details.

If You’re Hooked on Imperfection:

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Tagged as: black and white, Decorating, homearama, photography

Layout and Design Customized by EightCrazy Design.

{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Linda@restyledhome July 15, 2008 at 8:43 am: Perfect!! I think your photo wall breaks the rules!!
What a great example of decorating on a budget, yet creating something that makes your heart sing. Of course those gorgeous kids of yours could be framed in a tinfoil frame and nobody would notice…!!

Thanks for participating, Julia!
2 Tori July 15, 2008 at 8:56 am: I love the photo wall, regardless of cheap frames. It looks so lovely,
Julia.
3 melissa lewis - off the wall July 15, 2008 at 9:05 am: Julia, that looks great! How sweet and pretty! You’ll be overjoyed every time you walk down this hall:)
4 Melanie July 15, 2008 at 9:34 am: Once again, you inspire me! After I get done rearrange-ing bedrooms, I think I will try something like this. I usually use plain black frames and I think it is time to spray paint them an interesting color…maybe red?1!?!?
5 REAGAN July 15, 2008 at 10:00 am: we have three photo frames that hold about 9 photos each. we put our wedding photos in one and then pictures of freinds and family in the other. they take up quite a bit of room on the walls so it’s nice that they are a semi-focal point when walking into our living room. I love those silver frames though. Mine are black, which i love too
6 Dianne July 15, 2008 at 10:04 am: I like your wall even better!!!!!!! Congrats on a job well done!
7 Bonnie July 15, 2008 at 10:15 am: Love it, Julia! I haven’t repainted my front stairway yet, but that is where I plan on putting my family photos. In the meantime, I DO have a “dog wall” where I have framed photos of dogs we know and love. It’s in a small hallway outside my bathroom. So every time I exit the bathroom, I’m greeted by lovely pictures of my dog and other dogs that mean a lot to me.

P.S. Your children are SO cute!
8 Susie July 15, 2008 at 10:26 am: what a great wall… I have one too but it needs some updating.. maybe not, it’s fun to look back and see the changes… take care! Susie h~
9 Elizabeth July 15, 2008 at 10:48 am: I love it! I’m a photo junky, I put them anywhere I can find free wall space. I think your “imperfect” project is lovely.
10 Mrs.Limestone July 15, 2008 at 2:04 pm: I actually prefer your photo wall – it has a bit more of balance and the frames really accent the beauty of the black and white photos. Great job.
11 abbreviated July 15, 2008 at 3:04 pm: Nice !

Off topic :

Another thing deer don’t like is the plant lamb’s ear.

Have such a problem with deer in Kansas that even the Highway Patrol put deer whistles on their cars.
12 courtney @ nesting instincts July 15, 2008 at 3:41 pm: I love this, Julia! I, too, am a huge fan of those clearance shelves at Target.
13 Laura @ the shorehouse. July 15, 2008 at 4:45 pm: My house is mostly *all* less than ideal projects that make me happy anyway, LOL. I think your photo wall is PERFECTLY perfect. I love the silver frames against the black & white photos! Take THAT, Homearama.
14 rue July 15, 2008 at 6:13 pm: It looks great! I would never have known they were cheap. Plus the kids are awful cute

rue
15 At Home Redesigns July 15, 2008 at 6:17 pm: Great photo wall. Doesn’t matter if the frames weren’t expensive…the over-all effect is wonderful!
16 Amateur Tightwad July 15, 2008 at 7:09 pm: Love love love this! I think I’m going to do something similar on the wall going up our stairs. Thanks for the great idea!
17 Amy July 15, 2008 at 7:46 pm: Beautiful! I have a long hallway that something like this would work on. Thanks for the inspiration.
18 Dolly @ From my cherry heart July 15, 2008 at 8:15 pm: I love it!!!!

I have been collecting frames to do a wall just like this!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Hugz,
Dolly

P.S. I love your blog!!!!
19 Darla @ UltraBeautyBoutique July 15, 2008 at 8:23 pm: I love that arch with the book shelves in it. That’s what it is right? I know this is about photos but I get stuck on something and can’t let it go. I’m swell like that.
20 Angela July 15, 2008 at 10:26 pm: What a fabulous deal on frames!!! Who will ever know that it is painted plastic? Just your bloggy friends, and we will never tell.

Looks great–of course, look at those cute kids!
21 Marilyn July 16, 2008 at 12:31 am: Your photo wall is so pretty – quite a departure from our parents’ plaster-the-entire-wall-with-ugly-school-photos, eh? Looks great!
22 TraceyB July 16, 2008 at 9:18 am: I love your pictures of the kids! they’re so beautiful. I did something very similiar in my entrance way, only my cheap frames don’t look as good as your cheap frames. I found mine at the dollar store (enough said) anyway, Along with black and white’s of my kids I included old pic’s of me and my husband when we were young, and our parents. It does make me smile, and everyone who comes in our home checks out the wall and has an opinion of which kid looks like which great grandparent.
23 Mamacita July 16, 2008 at 12:02 pm: Beautiful photos! I have been thinking about doing this for some time now. I love black and white photos – where did you get your frames?!
24 Bettsi July 17, 2008 at 11:37 am: Oh, I love, love, love this! Well done! I don’t think it looks imperfect at all. I’m totally stealing this for my house, okay? (but I’ll use MY kids’ photos instead of yours!)
25 Debbie July 25, 2008 at 12:04 pm: I just discovered you and so glad I did. I’ve been enjoying myself over here as your blog is now one of my favorite treasures.