One of the best things about being a parent is seeing your child nurture their creativity and express themselves through art. Whether it’s a stick figure portrait of the family members or an incoherent painting that could pass off as an abstract masterpiece, every piece of artwork that your child creates is special. Now, the job of memorializing their creations is up to you. It’s time to step up your game from just hanging them on the fridge with magnets.
Fortunately, there are several creative ways to hang pictures and artwork that proudly showcase these gems and add personality to your home. Read on to see the five convenient ways we came up with to hang their artwork so you can enjoy them for years to come.
Before we get started, there are two crucial things you must remember before creating your gallery to keep it maintained and organized.
Get them involved and pick out their favorites.
The key to simplifying the process is picking out select artworks. Kids love to see their work displayed, and as much as we want to hang them all, it simply isn’t possible (unless you want to decorate your whole house with them!). If you feel guilty about tossing out the others, the best way is to get your child involved. Go over the pile with them, give them a number of pieces to choose from, and ask them to pick which ones they want to be displayed.
Make sure you have the ability to change the artwork often.
Kids are always coming home from school eager to show you their new work. Coupled with knowing which ones to keep and which ones to set aside for a different time, you need a display method that lets you change out the pieces a couple of times a month to keep your DIY art space alive.
Take a look at the following section to discover five distinct ways to exhibit your children's artwork on the wall.
5 Unique Ways to Hang Kids' Art on Your Wall
With that out of the way, here are five versatile ways to hang up your kids’ artwork.
Repurposed Frames
The first thought may be to avoid frames because of the commitment to paper sizes that usually comes with them, even when buying several different sizes. Still, it’s easy to put a DIY spin on it and make them more adaptable to different kinds of canvases, whether it’s a notebook page or a ripped-out box cover.
This method is an easy option if you have wooden frames or picture hangers lying around. It’s also flexible enough to make it easier to change out the pieces occasionally. Here’s Fuelled By Latte’s take on it:
Follow these quick easy steps to make your own DIY gallery setup:
1. Coat the frame with bright-colored paint or washi tape.
2. Check if the frame has eye screws on both sides. If it does, make an in-frame hanging by stretching a string across the frame and tying it on the screws. We recommend using sturdy picture hanging wires like this Invisible Hanging Nylon Cord to string the art on.
3. If there are no screws on either side, here’s a handy tutorial by Fix a Frame on how you can install d-ring hangers and picture hanging wire on a wooden frame:
We recommend using our Mini 1-Hole Hanger to use as eyelets because they’re perfect for wood frames and less bulky compared to eye screws. The video also mentioned using bumpers for air circulation, which we offer in-store.
4. Take a clip and attach the artwork to the string. Adjust the tightness of the string depending on how heavy the art is.
5. Pick a spot in the room and decide on an arrangement before nailing the frames on the wall. Trace the frames on paper first and tape them up on the wall to check the arrangement.
6. Take some time to study which picture hanging hardware to use depending on your frame material. Here’s a quick selection of possible materials you can use that are perfect for lightweight art:
Cork Wall
Instead of drilling multiple holes in your wall, why not make the wall something you can safely stick anything to? Having a cork wall solely for the artworks can easily solve any clutter problems. Here’s one that maximizes the entire wall space for pinning artworks:
Corks rolls can be glued onto drywall without any additional drilling. If you want it to be easily removable in the future, however, you’ll have to go the extra mile and stick it onto a backing material (e.g., plywood) first and drill that into the wall.
In the tutorial below, Ron Hazelton shows us how to make a cork wall gallery for parents who want to display their children’s drawings.
In the video, Ron uses the second method by gluing the cork rolls onto a fiberboard and installing it on the wall with screws. If you want to go with this method, you can find the necessary hardware in our store:
An alternative to drilling it directly into the wall is to install french cleats. They’re perfect for seamlessly hanging large items on the wall. However, cork walls are too flimsy for cleats so that means you’ll have to stick them to a sturdier material like plywood first.
What type you’ll need will depend on how long and heavy your cork wall is. Check out this guide to match the width of your cork wall with the proper cleat length. Here’s what we offer:
- Supported width: 37-42”
- Supported weight: 250 lbs
- Supported width: 43-50”
- Supported weight: Over 100 lbs
- Supported width: 51-89”
- Supported weight: Over 100 lbs
- Supported width: 51-89”
- Supported weight: 375 lbs
- Supported width: Over 90”
- Supported weight: 750 lbs
Pegboards
Having a pegboard gallery is similar to having a cork board if your space can’t afford a big cork wall. It’s also easy to install with drywall screws. The difference, however, is the uniformity of the look encouraged by the dots and pegs!
Make sure to measure the space on the wall you want to hang it on before you leave to buy the pegboard at the hardware store. Find a tutorial by The Home Depot below on how to properly install a pegboard.
You can skip the board cutting step in the video if you have the hardware store staff cut it down to your preferred size. To mount the pegboard on the furring strips, we recommend using our wall dog screws for better hold.
Once you have the pegboard mounted, there are several ways to customize it to fit your gallery vision! Here’s one with bullnose clips on Just A Girl Blog:
Another pegboard idea by Rachel Hollis gives it a multipurpose use by using some of the space to store the kids’ art materials:
Curtain Wires and Hooks
If you want an easier, more “open” method of showcasing the art, curtain wires also allow a changeable gallery hanging system that frees you from having to think about frames, paper orientation, and size. You can hang the artworks from the wire with clips. To help you visualize, check out this setup from Susan Wong:
There are two options you can take for this setup: buy a curtain wire set, or DIY one. Avoid sets with large brackets and thick rods, and opt for curtain wire systems like the Ikea Dignitet wire used in the picture above. This is to preserve visual balance and retain the light and playful theme.
If you want to DIY a hanging wire instead, follow the steps below.
1. Prepare the following materials:
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Power drill
- Nylon cord
- Wire clips
- Screw eye hangers
2. Find a prime location for the gallery. You can place it above furniture like the living room sofa or study desks, or in less expected places like the entryway or bathroom halls.
3. Put two level marks on the wall for the mounting screws. Use a tape measure to make sure the marks are aligned.
4. Make sure your drill bit matches the diameter of the shaft, minus the threads. You can easily do this by placing the drill bit against the shaft. The threads should be peeking out from behind and the drill bit shouldn’t completely obstruct the eye screw’s body from view.
Our store has 3 options for eye screw hangers:
5. Drill a 1 to ½ inch pilot hole into the wall and pull it out again. Place the screw into the hole and tighten it by turning it clockwise. Use pliers or insert a screwdriver into the hole to help you twist.
6. Measure the distance between the hooks with the wire and extend on both sides for about 10 inches before cutting it off. Attach each end to the eye screws.
This method is great because it’s stackable, especially if you dedicate a whole wall for the gallery. Having three layers of picture wires will make for a great selection of art pieces.
DIY Picture Rail
If you can’t be bothered with multiple layers, a DIY picture rail will achieve the same effect. You can make one cohesive picture rail with the pieces attached to each other and arranged in a vertical hanging system like this one from Sorted Spaces & Design:
Similar to the previous method, a makeshift picture rail can be made with a curtain wire system or a DIY setup. Arrange the pieces vertically by using double-ended hanging clips. This is an alternative to using a gallery kit or an actual picture rail if you don’t have or want to spend on any additional frames.
Final Thoughts
From repurposed frames to cork walls and whimsical washi tape galleries, these ideas will help you showcase your child’s art and encourage them to express themselves more creatively. Some options are incredibly budget-friendly and will encourage you to set aside some time to craft and bond with your child, while others require you to shell out a few more bucks but will result in an efficient gallery wall that will blend in nicely with your decor.
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