Ideas + Advice

Kids + Teens

Kids Art Gallery Walls + Easy Framing Tips

Your little Picassos and Van Goghs have set down their paintbrushes, untied their artist’s aprons and collapsed their easels – all there’s left to do is display the masterpieces into which they’ve poured their hearts and souls. Here are our favorite ways to display wall galleries in kids’ rooms; along with kid-crafted masterpieces, we’re including ideas for store-bought prints and canvases to elevate their style and keep the artistic inspiration running high.

1. The Little Artist’s Corner

The best part about this nook above a kids’ room desk is the brush and pencil holders – hung right along with the artworks themselves. Fasten a page from their sketchpad to a wall with a clothespin or binder clip, and arrange small cups or storage cubbies via hook-and-nail for easy reach to their tools.

2. Watercolor Themes

In younger children’s bedrooms, watercolors create a soft, gentle, nurturing aesthetic – perfect for sleeping toddlers. Stick to a theme in an art gallery wall (we’re loving the ocean-inspired whales shown here!), and add a small shelf for displaying their favorite books right along with the works of art.

3. Wall Art + Décor

The perfect kids gallery art wall is imperfect – it’s filled with a mix of items, often unbalanced and as quirky as their own burgeoning personalities. Instead of straight lines, even numbers and concrete subjects, go with diagonals, groups of threes and bold abstracts. Shown here, silhouette wall décor literally takes flight and heightens the look of the framed blue circles.

4. Subtle Sketches

For older kids and teens who have come into their own artistically, framing their favorite sketches can help them to view their work as something to be cherished. Mattes, black frames and a mix of white, black and natural backgrounds create depth to the gallery wall. Also note how in the room above, the gallery contains a mix of hanging and leaning art; utilize both shelf and wall to create contrast within the arrangement!

Kids Art Gallery Wall Tips

When creating a kids art gallery wall, keep the frames simple. What you want to highlight is the art itself. If you’re working with the artwork of your toddler or “first-time” artist, you’re probably working with a charmingly chaotic slew of scribbles and paint smears – embrace the chaos and let it shine by keeping it the main focus.

Remember: you don’t have to use the entire piece of paper. There’s nothing wrong with cropping out a section of your child’s latest drawing in order for it to fit into the frame you have in mind. If the whole piece is frame-worthy but can’t fit into a single frame, you can also divide it in half or thirds for two or three smaller frames, instead of one large one!

— More Great Articles —

Read the Latest

Editorial Disclaimer: Articles featuring tips and advice are intended for educational purposes and only as general recommendations. Always practice personal discretion when using and caring for furniture, decor and related items.