Hi there! I’m Cari from An Intentional Life. I am sooo amazed by all the FABULOUS ideas that have been shared in this series! It ALMOST makes me want to move again so I can redecorate with these fun ideas…almost!
I enjoy decorating and I have big plans for my “dream home”, however being in the military puts a little kink in those plans. Moving every few years makes it really difficult to nail down a style because every house has a different setup requiring different furniture, space requirements and photo arrangements. Not to mention the pain of patching holes and repainting when you’re ready to move again!
Yet, it’s SO important to make that house a home while I’m living there, not just for me, but to give my children some sense of stability and permanence. We’ve been in our current house in Kaiserslautern, Germany for about 4 months now and I’d like to share a few ways I’ve used family pictures to decorate without spending a lot of money and without making a lot of holes in the wall!
Collage Photo Frames
I love love love gallery walls, however they require putting a ton of nails in the wall. A great alternative is to use collage photo frames. You get to display several different photos with only one hole in the wall. It’s also super easy to switch out photos as the family grows.
I love displaying pictures using easels. Perfect because they don’t require any nails, and can be easily switched out.


I also display regular artwork from my easels. They come in all shapes and sizes and can really change up the look of a room in a matter of minutes. I have half a dozen easels in different spots around my home.
These types of frames are very inexpensive and can be placed all around the home to give a more personal feel. It’s also a great way to add a pop of color. (I’ll soon be changing these out with pictures of my new baby girl!)
I have a ledge in my bathroom where I display these photos of my now three year old, when he was a baby, I just love seeing this happy face every morning (especially since he’s going through a grumpy phase right now!)
Oversize photos can really add a lot to a room, however large frames can often be more expensive than the photos themselves and large canvas prints can be quite pricey as well. I printed this image of my three boys on foam core and simply mounted it to the wall sans frame.
I also love creating my own collages in Photoshop and printing one large image with multiple photos.
This collage is of our last family vacation, printed on foam core (you could also mount on wood or other solid surface). To hang I simply used rug tape which means no holes in the wall! Foam core mounted images also work great for easels!
Find Cari on her blog/her photography page/
Kristen Duke
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How about a tutorial on how you did the foam core pics? Thanks.
Carol, I just ordered them from my printer printed on foam core. You can also order regular prints and glue them on pre-cut wood (Michael’s used to sell this), just paint the edges and attach a ribbon to the back (or use strong tape like rug tape or 3M).
Cari recently posted..Decorating with Pictures
Where would I have a picture printed on foam core?
Hi Barbara,
I use WHCC for all my printing, but for non-professional labs, you can try Inkley’s/Ritz, even some online stores now have some options such as: Snapfish http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/fe/home-decor and Shutterfly http://www.shutterfly.com/home-decor/mounted-wall-art.
Cari recently posted..Decorating with Pictures