20 Unique Ways to Display Family Photos

Whether they are wedding portraits, holiday or vacation photos, reunion photos or some old childhood snapshots, there’s something about touching about glimpsing those special moments in time that have been frozen on film. If they are still stored on a digital device, you can send them to your local Sam’s Photo to be printed out!

Displaying them around your place do make for great conversation fodder. And of course, they also help give your house that special well-lived in look.

So how do you use your collection of family photos to decorate your home? Here are some helpful hints from the Decoist for displaying the photos on your wall:

1. Before actually starting, plan the arrangement in advance. For instance, trace the frames on paper, cut the tracings out, then tape them to the wall. Move the paper around until you find the perfect arrangement. Hammer the nails in through the paper. Once done, remove the paper and hang your picture frames.

2. Have your black-and-white photos all grouped together to create that clean, classic, timeless look.

3. Use matching frames in terms of color and material. Or, use frames that come in matching colors but different designs. Or, have different kinds of frames but use only the black-and-white photos on them.

4. For pictures of your most priceless moments, use antique frames to imbue them with some sense of history.

5. For the bold, introduce a pop of color here and there, or insert a wall monogram, among the monochromatic arrangement of framed photos.

Some additional display ideas from Houzz include:

6. Use picture rails for matching frames in lieu of directly nailing them on the wall.

7. Use the family photos as covering for the lampshade.

8. Use wire framework with a set of simple clothespins to hang unframed photos a la “vintage modern style.”

9.  Use a wall-mounted shelf or set of shelves where other objects can be displayed alongside your family photos.

Still more display ideas to select from for your family photos come courtesy of Architecture & Design:

10. Alternate horizontal and vertical positions of rectangular picture frames of the same size, color and design to add a modern touch to a traditional arrangement.

11. Display a few family photos on the wall above your desk or work area.

12. Display another set of family photos on your staircase wall.

13. Bunch small photos together on one single large frame.

14. Have a special photo printed wall-size for display on a dedicated corner of your house.

15. Arrange alternating black-and-white photos and colored photos with the same dimensions and design to create a symmetrical display on a living room wall.

16. Match photos and picture frames with the color scheme of your furniture.

17. Use different colored backgrounds on identical picture frames to achieve “a dramatic but still playful and casual” effect.

18. For the mantel, display some old family photos inside assorted sizes of clear glass bottles.

19. Use clothespins to hang photos on bulletin boards or pin boards.

20. Arrange some unframed old photos in a wreath pattern for mounting on the wall for the holiday season.