Decorating on a Budget: A Gallery Wall

You've probably seen picture walls before: a clean, arranged design of frames with either photographs or paintings as a larger wall element. Of course, when you don't exactly have the budget for art, a gallery wall can seem a little out of the realm of imagination.

Apartment Therapy writer Lindsey Tella faced exactly that dilemma. Here are some tips on how she got started despite her budget being lower than what she needed for what she wanted:

Sketch It Out. Lindsey sketched out her living room and added sticky notes to represent the frames she wanted to use. This allowed her to experiment with arrangements, clusters, sizes, and shapes to get the look she wanted without wasting any money on buying the wrong frame or something not working the way she pictured.

Planning ahead on any project will almost always save you money, so this is a great idea, not just for a gallery wall, but for any pricier home projects you're considering!

Fit Your Budget. While you don't want to sacrifice what you like, you do want to stick to a budget—that's the secret. Don't buy the first set of frames that you can afford; instead, look around for options that both meet your tastes and fit your budget. It might take a little bit longer, but you'll be much more satisfied with the results.

Hang the Frames. Following your sketch and the pattern on which you ultimately decide, hang your frames. Being able to go off of the sketch will make this much, much easier than eyeballing it! 

Collect Your Art. The problem with buying art or getting your photos printed in larger sizes is that it also costs money—so much for your budget! Counteract that buy slowly accumulating art over time. A print of a great painting here, a photograph of your favorite beach there, until your frames are all full.

Note: Don't want empty frames on the wall? Use what you have to fill them until you can afford the art you want. You can use:

• Kids' artwork.
• A poster cropped to fit the frame.
• Colored paper.
• Wallpaper scraps.
• Gift wrap.
• Fabric.

For some of these, you might be so satisfied with the result that it actually becomes your artwork!