How to Create a Unique Kid’s Gallery Wall

I recently revealed the first kid’s space in our new house! During the Spring One Room Challenge, I spruced up the littlest’s digs and gave him his very first “Big Boy Room”! It’s full of color and personality and fun. One of our favorite moments is the wallpaper accent wall filled with a bold collection of art and other miscellaneous items. Today, I’m sharing How to Create a Unique Kid’s Gallery Wall.

To check out the full Big Boy Room Reveal, be sure to head to this post.

And to see all boy-room-related content, click here!

I’ve put together dozens of gallery walls over the years, in my own house and my client’s homes. No two have ever been the same, which is one of the things I love most about creating them. It’s a creative process for me and I love how different and unique each one turns out.

You can see all of my past gallery walls here.

Today, I’m going to walk you through the details of this fresh & fun Kids Gallery wall I recently put together for our littlest!

wallpaper source here // gallery wall details below

HOW TO CREATE A UNIQUE KID’S GALLERY WALL

When choosing items to display on a wall together, I feel each piece should tell a story. Pieces that are reflective of one’s personality or favorite things. I also love to keep it interesting by using frames of different colors, and varying sizes and even incorporating unique pieces to give it a one-of-a-kind look.

For example, adding mirrors, baskets, wood accents, metal pieces, or shelves give the gallery wall a more interesting feel than a collection of traditional framed art or photos.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding what to use in a kid’s gallery wall:

• Does the piece represent their personality?
• Are their favorite colors being represented somewhere?
• Do they have a favorite photo I can add?
• What is their favorite animal, food, or activity?
• Do I have a special baby photo?
• Can I frame an old doodle or piece of artwork from school?
• What small objects can I display on a shelf amongst the frames?

There are so many ways to have fun if you don’t overthink it! Gather your pieces, loosely lay them out on the floor to get an idea of how you want it to look and then just start hanging!

Now, let’s take a closer look at Winston’s Gallery Wall and why I decided to use each piece.

stacked book art // alphabet art [old from Minted, similar here] // banana art // metal people figurine [on acrylic shelf] // multi-color giraffe art // peace sign [old from Target, similar here] // 3-D disco ball [DIY using this] // wood frame [w/ sonogram] // framed photo // painted cactus on canvas [thrifted] // metal thumbs up statue [old from HomeGoods, similar here, on acrylic shelf] // panda canvas [old from HomeGoods, similar here] // “yes, yes, yes…” art [thrifted]

UNIQUE BOY’S ROOM GALLERY WALL DETAILS:

ONE // stacked book art // I chose this piece because he loves to read. I actually borrowed it from his older brother’s room.

TWO // alphabet art [old from Minted, similar here] // Another one borrowed from the biggest. Maybe now that I’ve stolen so many pieces from his room, I’ll need to give him a big, big boy room later this year in order to get him some new pieces!

THREE // banana art // His favorite fruit! And maybe his top 3 fave foods! I found this digital print on Etsy for $5. So I bought it, downloaded it, had it printed at Walgreens and then added it to an old frame.

FOUR // metal people figurine [on acrylic shelf] // When I was pregnant with him and shopping for nursery decor, I found this piece at a thrift store. To me, it symbolized his two older brothers always looking out for him.

I knew it had to stay in his room, but instead of setting it on his bookcase or nightstand, I thought why not hang it on the wall.

These mini acrylic shelves are adorable and give the wall a 3-D effect. Simply place a small stuffie, or any other item on it to give your gallery wall a pop of something fun & unexpected!

FIVE // multi-color giraffe art // I chose this because it was fun & colorful.

SIX // peace sign [old from Target, similar here] // He had it on a shelf in his nursery closet in our last house. I love that its just so cute and tiny!

SEVEN // 3-D disco ball [DIY using this] // my buddy loves to dance, so when I first stumbled upon this 3-D disco ball art from etsy, I knew it would be perfect for him. But after realizing it was only 5′”x5″ and would be close to $50 after shipping, I decided to try to make one!

This DIY disco ball art may or may not have its own post someday, but here is the short version of the tutorial.

I started with this 8″ disco ball for $15 and a $2 wood art piece from Goodwill. With a couple of coats of black spray paint and some wood glue, we had our very own disco ball art for my little dancing machine !

EIGHT // wood frame [w/ sonogram] // he has always said this is his favorite thing in his room. So on the gallery wall it stayed! You can see how and where I first hung it in his nursery here.

NINE // framed photo // a black and white picture of the 3 boys from his newborn photoshoot.

TEN // painted cactus on canvas [thrifted] // While out looking for some more colorful pieces to add to his room, we popped into Goodwill to see what we could find. He actually spotted this piece! And it was only $1.49! Plus, it symbolizes our new life in the desert.

ELEVEN // metal thumbs up statue [old from HomeGoods, similar here, on acrylic shelf] // I added this large silver thumbs-up figurine since it sat on his nursery bookshelf. Little did I know when I bought it while pregnant with him, he would always & forever be flashing a thumbs-up.

On the soccer field, at school pick-up, he’s always giving a thumb so I love being able to continue to show off in his room.

These little shelves are perfect to add in between frames to display special items, stuffed animals, etc.

TWELVE // panda canvas [old from HomeGoods, similar here] // Another neutral black & white piece to help balance out all the color.

THIRTEEN // “yes, yes, yes…” art [thrifted] // I’ve always loved this “ha ha ha” art print, so when I spotted the yes one for only $12, I had to grab it! The boys are always asking me for a “yes day” like in the movie. Since we haven’t had one yet, I thought it was a perfect addition to the wall.

Maybe someday, guys 😉

A FEW TIPS TO CREATE A UNIQUE KID’S GALLERY WALL:

• Think outside the box.
• Try your local thrift store to save some $$ and find interesting pieces [my tips for thrifting frames are here].
• Don’t limit yourself to just art – anything can be hung on a wall.
• Pick a color palette and then search for pieces that tie everything together.
• Gather more pieces than you actually need so you have more to choose from. Some of my potential options didn’t make the final cut. [I ended up using this piece and this piece on other walls in his room]
• Use different shapes, sizes and colored frames.
• Work with odd numbers.
• It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
• Use what you love. If you don’t love it, don’t use it.
• It’s just a nail hole, so you can always change things around later!

TO SHOP THE PIECES FROM THIS UNIQUE GALLERY, CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW:

To see the other side of this room, be sure to check out the full Big Boy Room Reveal here.

And for even more boy-room design inspo and ideas, click here!