How To Easily Hang 9 Frame Grid Picture Gallery Wall

To Tutorial

Have you seen all of those fabulous framed art walls and just thought there is no way you could achieve this wall art idea? While I am here to tell you that it is easier than you think to hang your gallery wall. Follow our step-by-step guide to hang a 9-picture layout for your family photos.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full privacy policy.

Our Empty Wall

Here is our empty entryway near our front door. It is the perfect place to display family photos. We searched how and low to find the best frames for our grid layout.

blank wall with toy chest and basket on floor.

Recommended Tools and Supplies

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full privacy policy.

Ruler
Hanging Nails, Dry Wall Anchors with Screws or Command Strips
Tape Measurer
9 Frames With Packaging
Hammer
Optional: Small Torpedo Level

Why Did We Choose Large Square Frames?

We knew large square frames in a matching color with black and white photos would create a unified look. If you do not want square frames, most of the frames I considered come in different sizes within the links to the retailers.

Square Wall Frames You Can Buy

7 different images of square picture frames with text square frames for gallery walls.

Better Homes and Garden Floating Frame 8″ x 8″ Walmart 2. Basics Wall Frames by Studio Decor Michael’s 3. 12″ x 12″ Black Frame Kit Target 4. 2 Pack Gray Fundamentals Shadow Boxes Michael’s 5. Gallery Frame, Black Lacquer West Elm 6. 8″ x 8″ Double Matted Gray Frame Target 7. Brushed Silver 8″ x 10″ Frame Crate and Barrel

Hopefully, this will save you some shopping legwork as you look for the best frames for your space.

Large Square Wall Frames We Used

Most of the frames I had found were just too small. There was one more for me to consider and it is relatively inexpensive compared to other frames.

Ikea Ribba Large Square

Has more depth than other frames
Has plexiglass on the front which is better than glass for a young family

I do not live particularly close to an IKEA, but I was able to ship all 9 frames that I needed. For the size of these gallery wall frames, they are actually pretty inexpensive.

In addition to having to have to ship these large square frames, I was nervous that one would be damaged or broken, and then I would be delayed even longer. Luckily, they came very well packaged together.

(I am not even an affiliate for these frames, just telling you what I used).

Before You Begin

Plan Your Design

You can modify this 9-square grid pattern with any frames or art prints. Our tips will work for any wall design or different-sized frames.

Don’t Throw Away Packaging

No matter what type of picture gallery you are trying to create, you can use the paper in the frame as a guide.
Don’t throw away the corner cardboard square protectors. These can act as spacers.

Most frames come with corner protectors. If not, you can easily make a spacer out of cardboard or other paper.

You will be able to see if you like your set-up before doing anything permanent. I was nervous that these large frames were going to be too much for our space or too low on the wall. Once I saw the paper on the wall, I knew it would do just that.

corner of each paper with cardboard spacers.

How To Hang 9 Picture Frames In A Square

Step 1: Take Frames Apart

Take apart the back of the frames and take the paper out. If you have your family photos or art pieces ready, you can add them to the frame then and get them set up.

tape measurer on frame paper with frame flipped over.

Step 2: Mark The Paper Where The Nail Will Go

Put frames aside.
Fold frame paper in half, assuming that your hang mechanism is in the middle (you would think they all would be).
Open the paper templates back up.
Measure how far down the hanging hook is on the back of the frame.
On the Ribba frame, it was 4” down from the top. Mark 4” down on the fold.
You will need to repeat this for all frames now or as you need them.

Step 3: Add A Paper Square To The Center Of The Wall

Use a measuring tape to find the center point of your wall.
Put your first piece of paper up at desired height.
I “eyeballed” to make sure it was level, but you could use an actual torpedo level to check. I could not do this because our ceiling is two different heights, but you could also measure down in 2 spots and mark the distance.
Line up the paper and tape it up on the wall.

empty wall in foyer with sketched out frames with arrow pointing to middle frame.

Step 4: Add Spacers Around Square Paper

Take apart the corner square pieces. These were the perfect 1.5” width to use as my separators to make sure the distance was equal between all frames.

spacers from frames taped with blue painter's tape around white paper.

However, if you do not want that distance, you could always cut cardboard, tagboard or paper to your desired width to use.

two frame square papers taped on the wall with painter's tape.

Tape two separators next to the bottom of the paper square.

Step 5: Continue To Add Spacers And Square Papers

Line up the next frame’s paper square (it should already be folded and marked). Use painter’s tape to put that square paper on.

Step 6: Work To Get 9 Squares Taped To Wall

Keep adding 2 cardboard separators around paper squares before adding another paper up.

Step 7: Look At The Plan From A Distance

Repeat these steps until your picture wall gallery looks how you want it. Step back and look at the wall. Double-check that it looks right to you and adjust anything accordingly if needed.

9 square paper frames taped on wall to make gallery wall plan.

Step 8: Hammer Hanging Nails In Marked Spots

When you are completely sure, use finishing hanging nails. You simply can hammer right on the spot you are already marked on the paper.

hand holding hammer with frame paper taped on wall.

Step 10: Carefully Remover Paper, Tape & Cardboard

Once the nail is in, carefully pull paper and cardboard separators off the wall. Make sure to have the nail slightly pointing upward.

Step 11: Hang Frames On Nails

Hang finished frames. You can adjust them to make sure they are level.

close up view of 6 black square frames with black and white photos.

Tips On Adding Photography To Frames

These frames had a clear film stuck on both sides of the plexiglass. Before, carefully peeling off make sure that your frame is dust-free.
Also, try only to touch the corners. You really don’t want your fingerprints showing.
When assembling the frames, I placed them on a soft, dust-free comforter on our bed. This helps keep everything in one place. One time I tried to do frames on the carpet and instantly regretted it. Can anyone say carpet fuzz?
Check that the image is the right way before closing the frame and that it looks clean to you. The worst is when you think you are all set and flip over only to find that you put everything upside down. Or a huge piece of lint stuck in there. Trust me, just check it right before closing your frame.

Photo Printing Tips

No matter where you get your photos printed, I recommend getting the photos printed on matte paper instead of glossy. I just think that the photos appear richer on that paper.
Also, make sure that edit your photographs before uploading. I have never really found the edit options within these printing services to be worth it.
Here is a link to the photoshop settings I added to my black-and-white photos to make sure that our large photos turned out clear and not blurry.
A lot of our pictures were even done with our phones. You can YouTube about any edit settings you may use to ensure you have high enough resolution in your photos.
Using natural light outside will also help with the precise nature and focus in your images.

Where To Print Large Photos

Shutterfly: Will run promo codes all the time so that you can get prints of any size.
Walgreens: We printed our prints from here this time. We need 12″ x 12″ designer prints (it is what they call them at that size).
CVS: They also offer a variety of print options and you should be able to find coupons to get some percent off.
Amazon Print: I have yet to try their printing service, but have read that they are rated pretty high.

Please note: I purposely tried to make the black and white photographs appear fuzzy in this image to protect our privacy. I was very happy with how our prints came and how clear our black and white photo wall is. I am so happy that I finally paid for matching frames to create this uniform look in our foyer.

9 black frames on wall above purple dresser. — This purple buffet was redone with DIY chalk paint for a fun addition to our foyer.

Read more about our ideas: DIY Creative Art Display Ideas

Picture Hanging FAQs

How to easily hang picture frames?

Depending on the weight of your frames, you may be able to use command strips, small hanging nails or you may need to use drywall anchors.
Command strips are awesome for small pieces if you do not want extra nail holes. Just make sure you are following the weight limit guidelines.

How close together did our frames end up?

Our frames ended up being about 3/4″ apart to create the 9-square frame grid. If you want your frames farther apart we recommend making your own spacers or using a ruler to mark the distance you want.
When you use the frame paper the width of the frame is not shown with the template. If you are concerned then you will want to trace the frames on kraft paper or wrapping paper to make your templates.

Which frame should you put on first?

You should start with the middle frame in your layout or design and work outwards. This will ensure that you are keeping your wall balanced.
If you are doing different-sized photo frames and artwork, you may want to consider starting with the largest piece and filling in the entire wall from there.

Can you still buy Ikea Ribba square frames?

It appears you can get a 16″ x 20″ Ribba frame still at IKEA. However, at this time it doesn’t look like the square frames are available anymore. There are similar looks but different styles available like the Sannahed line from IKEA.

What is the correct height to hang a photo gallery?

A good rule of thumb is to start at eye level and add your pieces from there. A common mistake people make is hanging their new gallery wall too high.

4 Comments

Jenn Summers says:

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I love this! I want to renovate our living room some day and this would be such an amazing addition to our one blank wall ????

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Jenn. I really love how the polished this gallery wall makes our entryway work. I am glad I spent the money to buy all of the same frames.
  
Aaron White says:

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It’s great to learn that you should keep the corner cardboard square protectors to measure a picture frame. My wife and I are preparing to move into a new home and we were wondering how we could hang up pictures on the wall easier. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should keep the corner cardboard square protectors to hang pictures easier.

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Aaron. Yes, the corner protector worked as a spacer when planning out our wall gallery. You could also make a few one out of tagboard to any size of your choice. Good luck.