I knew I wanted to keep them very affordable, but I also wanted the photo quality to be excellent. No sense in having photos on the wall if they’re a blurry mess! As you know, sometimes when photos get enlarged too much, they end up looking computer-generated. I was really trying to avoid that problem, but also keep the cost down. I found that Office Depot’s photo prints were affordable and had great reviews, so that’s the route I took. I decided to take my own photos and have Office Depot print them.

Taking the photos:

I set my phone up on a tripod so that the lighting and angle would be the same for each photo. I used a white wall in my office as the background and had each of the kids stand on a piece of tape. They took turns getting into frame and acting silly! I took around 10 photos of each of them so I would have a few to choose from.

Once I decided on my favorite photos, I edited them using the Lightroom app on my phone. I used the preset “B&W Low Contrast” and didn’t have to do any cropping at all since I used a tripod, this is key.

Ordering Prints

On officedepot.com you can easily upload your photos and select the size. I had mine printed as 24” x 18” because it was a good fit for the wall I chose. I chose “55 lb. matte” paper. Prints with these specifics ended up being $19.99 each and shipped in about a week.

Framing the Photo Posters

Originally, I had ordered a pack of 6 poster frames from Amazon, but when they came in they were sooooo cheap and flimsy I returned them. I ended up happy with these frames from Target. The quality is good for the price, they’re plexiglass, lightweight and great for kids’ spaces.

Hanging the Photo Posters

Obviously, you’ll need to measure your space BEFORE printing and framing your posters, but there are a few tips I can offer for hanging. I like to leave 3-4 inches between art on all sides, with a 6 inch+ offset from the corner/edge of the wall on either side. These rules can be applied to hanging most galleries.

The frames were easy to work with. I made sure the plexiglass was free from dust after removing the protective film and was careful not to touch it at all. Because these particular frames hang from a single hook, I added rubber pads to the bottom corners of each frame. I’ve found this extra step keeps the frames from slipping out of square once they’re hanging on the wall. I’ve used this trick a lot throughout our home.

Overall, the project cost about $170 and I’m more than happy with that! A piece of wall art that is personal, impactful and affordable is what I was after. I hope you found value in the ideas and tips I shared in this post. If you create a photo poster gallery in your own home be sure to let me know. Follow me on Instagram @hello_bloomcreative for more!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie G. xo