» frames
Save money and use old frames you already have or try stores like Ross or Marshalls for inexpensive frames. It doesn’t matter what color they are to start with since you’ll be painting them.

» spray primer
I used white since my paint colors were fairly light. I was covering over bright red and yellow paint and the white primer did a great job with just one coat. Be sure to wear a mask and work outdoors in a well-ventilated, drop cloth covered workspace!

» spray paint
I chose a green theme and found five different shades of green paint. Some were gloss finish and some satin, but you really don’t notice the difference once they are all hung together. The Rust-oleum “Painter’s Touch” brand shown here worked really well and comes in a wide range of colors and cost about $4 per color.

» tools used
hammer
picture hanging hooks & nails
tape measure
paper for artwork placeholders
step stool

Follow the directions on the can of primer and make sure you remove the glass from the frames before painting. Rotate the frame around to make sure you cover all surfaces with the primer.

Paint the Frames
The sky’s the limit here! I was going for a “shades of green” theme, but you could use any color paint and any number of colors of paint. All white frames on a painted wall would look great or a mix of metallics all hung together. Check out your local hardware store to see what kinds of spray paint they have. If you’re in the Bay Area, the best selection I’ve found is at the Home Depot in San Carlos. A huge variety of really nice colors AND they aren’t locked up so you can actually look at everything without being guarded by an employee.

Plan Your Layout
To avoid putting too many extra holes in the wall, test your layout of frames on the floor first. Arrange and rearrange as much as you want and take quick photos (as I did above with my iPhone) both to have another perspective on the layout and to help you remember once you start hanging them.

Layout & Hanging Tips
The options are endless, but here are a few guidelines I use when planning a collection of frames on a wall.

• Decide on a “gutter” width that will be consistent between frames. Mine are all spaced 2 inches apart here
• Try to make each frame align with at least one edge of an adjacent frame. If you are going for the “random but organized look” this helps keep some order to the collection.
• Once you are ready to hang the frames, measure the width of your layout and decide where the entire set will be placed on the wall. I wanted my collection centered, so I made sure there was equal wall space on the left and right sides by carefully measuring a few times and marking the edges lightly with pencil.
• Start with one frame towards the center of the collection. I started with the open square one (with the hook hung in the center) since I could measure the gutter of 7 of the other frames from this one.
• This is one instance where your eyes can play tricks on you, so measure carefully to find the correct distances and don’t count on your eye, no matter how spot on you think you can be. I ended up hanging all 10 frames with only one extra hole in the wall.
• Use painters’ tape to mark edges of where you want your frames as another method. I prefer the great carpet layout plan, but do whatever works for you!