A great collage wall – you know, a beautiful display of oil paintings, gallery photos, and expensive prints, combined into a lovely piece of art all on its own. Pinterest has a large number of pages dedicated to just collage walls, but I find the majority of them quite overwhelming with artwork. Without spending an arm and a leg, how does one come up with all the pieces for the fancy-schmancy wall combinations? Well, my dear…there is another way!
We’ve been in our current house for about a year now. I still have a lot of empty wall space (mostly areas that are dying for paint…I’m getting there people, but ceilings and wallpaper removal come first, as well as dirty diapers and dinner on the table). However, I attacked a collage wall right away. And just this week it doubled in size. I’ve had a few pieces I’ve collected over the year and it was time to bring them out to celebrate. I’m personally a fan of collage walls because there is so much diversity and flexibility with each display. (I get a little nervous about committing to a large piece of artwork that “controls” the style of a room.) …and, it is a way to create a beautiful display without breaking the bank, with just as much charm, character and personality as the big shots.
I had high hopes after graduating as an Art major to support local artists and buy all their magnificent pieces to display in my home. Well…that hasn’t happened as I had thought. Until later, and into my “grown-up” life, did I realize that art didn’t have to come at a high price. I’m obsessed with labels and the graphics behind any sort of typography/graphics project, someone designed it purposefully and thoughtfully. Ok, I’m getting into an all-time debate here…but what it really comes down to is what I think is beautiful for my home! As I was expanding this collage wall, I was relishing all the memories and interesting pieces that I will be enjoying on a daily basis. Some are quirky, some have no meaning to me at all – except that I find them beautiful, and some exude history and hard work.
Here’s a little breakdown of my collage wall:
- Flyer for an art installation at my college (these come in the mail for me as postcards quarterly, it even has the red mail stamp across the bottom. I chalk it up as personality).
- Postcard I purchased off of Etsy – Tastesorangy. (I have the rest of the collection in my bathroom, I want them all over my house – I love her style).
- Frida Kahlo print, bought in Mexico on my honeymoon. ($8)
- Photo shoot we had of the first grandkids for Gigi (Maxie and her cousin).
- A needlepoint I splurged on and paid $5 at a garage sale.
- A professional painting Husband received for his birthday from my sis-in-law, painted by her grandmother.
- This is a postcard from the grand opening of the cutest little pop-up-shop in downtown Excelsior. Beautiful ekate jewelry+ and just a fun day out purusing with your hot coffee cup in hand. The graphics of the postcard are too pretty to not display. Go support her local business!
- Shiny rock I found on a trip.
- Branches. Because why not?…and greenery is beautiful in the summer.
- Feist poster from her concert at the MN Zoo. Best concert ever. (Just bought a separate frame from Michael’s during a 40%-off week.)
- Goodwill needlepoint ($1.99 – I like to rescue someone’s hard work.)
- Goodwill needlepoint ($1.99)
- Framed wallpaper from our front entry and stairwell after I removed it. I have to display a little of the house’s original charm.
- Drift wood found on a trip.
- Framed greeting card from Trader Joe’s. Most cleaver/interesting/beautiful cards I’ve ever seen for $.99.
- Thrift store oil painting ($2.99).
- Frame…I promise I’ll fill it at some point; this is the way I roll.
- My mom’s family in the 60’s.
- Frida Kahlo print from a Mexico vacation.
- Frida Kahlo print from another Mexico vacation (I love her).
- Goodwill needlepoint ($1.99).
It’s a crazy mis-match of glamor/styles/memories/textures/etc. that just make me happy. The key to making collages interesting is variety. A variety of frames, sizes, textures, colors and mediums all intertwined to create something fantastic as a whole.
A few tips on displaying/hanging collage walls:
- Find a few anchor pieces that are larger focal points, and then work off of those to form the overall shape.
- I have no patience to cut out templates with newspaper, I’m all about a hammer and nails. Things often move slightly, but that is what a tiny bit of spackle and wall paint are for. Touch ups are not a big deal – don’t fear the paint and brush after the fact! (and most of the oops holes are hidden behind the pieces – shh!)
- Collect frames at thrift stores. They have the most character and are easy to fill. Also, a simple mat cutter is a very inexpensive way to attain custom mats for cheapy.
- I like math and grids, but with lots of shapes and sizes it’s impossible to truly follow a grid…therefore, give up the grid idea. Keep an eye on similar negative spaces, but don’t feel the need to line everything up perfectly when they are different sizes (and won’t line up perfectly!).
- Any frames that have the swinging arm easel (you know, that piece that lets it rest on a table top?) I just rip it off. It almost always throws off the balance and won’t hang properly or evenly.
- Sticky Tack works wonders for holding frames level on the wall, a little faithful pairing to your nail. Some of my frames shift so easily on their own, this ensures everything stays level as you originally planned.
Have fun. This only has to please you. Memorable ticket stubs, a dinner menu from your favorite date night, handwritten memos that make you smile, your child’s artwork, the label from your favorite hot sauce (ok, that went a little far, but I may have to try it). Buy/collect/display what you love. I’m a little backward in the collecting process…I snag a cool piece when I find it. I have a little bin in the basement with my collectables. I don’t always have a home in mind for them initially, but these kinds of projects take a little time for me. Even if I had all the money in the world to purchase anything/everything I wanted, it would lack memories, character and pizazz in my opinion.
Release the intimidation, start collecting treasures, and get hanging friends!
(And my little plug as an Art major grad…please buy local art when you can afford it!)
3 comments
These are great tips. And ekate’s stuff is just the prettiest – so fun that you included that postcard.
I love Feist! That’s the first thing I saw on the wall!! Good post, Honja.
Love this!