5 Steps to Successfully Creating a Family Portrait Memory Wall by Heather Thomas Photography, Family Photographer Philadelphia

• a wall 😉
• framed prints / canvas or speciality print items
• one roll of painters tape (optional)
• a roll of kraft paper or paper bags (optional)
• scissors
• hammer, nails and a level.
• a lot of love and maybe some tears 😉

1. Choose a Wall :
   Your future family portrait memory wall should not have anything else hanging on it. Take a photo of your wall and start to visualize the color palette you would like to use for your memory portrait wall. Your wall should be in a place where your family or children spend a lot of time.Some questions to ask yourself include what is the color tones are use around my home take a photo of your wall and start to visualize the color palette you would like to use some questions to ask yourself include what is the color tones are used around my home what colors bring me peace and will help pull my memories together do I want a pop of color or more subtle calming tone on your blank piece of paper use the back to jot down a few color ideas
2. Pick Your Prints:
   Here comes the fun part. Start to gather the prints you would like to share on your wall. Do you need to have prints made from digital images? Are there photos around your home that you’d like to move onto your new gallery portrait wall.  Select photos that tell your family story and bring you joy.
3.  Frames & Other Materials :
   The best gallery portrait walls are ones that vary in frame sizes and textures. You can mix and match different photo display styles (canvas, frame, acrylic, wood) to keep your gallery portrait wall interesting (samples here). Find a general color scheme that complements the tones in your home. Gather different styles and colors of frames but don’t go overboard. Stick to your color palate and use just 3 or 4 colors including the color of the wall.  Feel free to add in some quotes or personalized signs to add depth and meaning to your gallery portait wall. My favorite designer is White Willow Designs Co on Etsy. 
4. Map your design :
   Begin by laying all of your ready to hang photos and memorabilia on the floor.  Starting with one or two larger pieces centered will anchor the collection. Start building around that main piece by adding one piece to the left then to the right, one above and below. Get the drift? This helps keep balance and keeps the display easy on the eyes. 

   A good tip is to measure the wall space you plan to use then mark it off on the floor using the painters tape. Using the painters tape, you can also tape your display on the wall to visualize the how the final gallery portrait wall will look.  Plan to leave 2″ or so in between each photo to keep the flow of your story. 

5. Time to hang :
   Many fear hanging photos on the wall. I assure you, it is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing is permanent and everything is fixable. Your portraits can be moved around if you’re not 100% happy.  Pull out your hammer, nails, and level and start by hanging the first piece on the wall. *please see this article on hanging photos 101 before hanging your art. It’s best to start by hanging the largest piece a bit off center or two pieces over a center line. This will anchor the collection. Then begin to hang all other pieces and build off of that.That’s it! Your gallery portrait wall is complete! Time to sit back and enjoy your new gallery portrait wall.