Kids in the Hall: Instagram Home Display

Being unemployed means cutting costs, and that includes gifts. No worries. I've always felt one of the best ways to express love is through the giving of a handmade gifts. So this Valentine's Day I decided to surprise Cory with a photo display in our previously boring, white hallway.

[Before we proceed, I need to apologize, as the quality of my step shots isn't ideal. Taking a good picture in a poorly lit hallway is a tough task, to say the least. Please excuse the lackluster lighting. Thanks!]

I was inspired by an awesome Instagram display on the Beautiful Mess blog. So cute! And so many awesome tips, like using painter's tape as the adhesive and to achieve even spacing. Brilliant!

First thing's first—print the Instagrams. Or any 4"x4" prints. I've had many printed and waiting to be used for a while now, thanks to the awesome folks at Persnickety Prints. Because I'm a procrastinator, I had to order a few of my remaining prints from the local drugstore so I could pick them up and get them on the wall before Cory got home that night. Procrastinator, I tell ya!

I've gotta say, Persnickety Prints is the way to go. They quality of those prints compared to the ones printed at my local drugstore is night and day.

Do It To It

Begin with a clean wall. I used a rag and rubbing alcohol to get a good clean. Something I read on the back of my Command Hooks package once upon a time.

Next, I added pieces of painter's tape to the corners of the photos and My Mind's Eye Record It! scrapbooking cards I wanted to use in my design.

I found the center of my wall and aligned a laser level to help ensure my display was straight. (Though, I could have done a better job here. It's slightly crooked. D'oh!)

I then attached my center journaling card.

Next, I added the next cards above and below the center, using strips of painter's tape to evenly space between each card.

Now that the center of my heart is in place, I can start to add the surrounding photos. Again, I made sure to place painter's tape strips in between each element.

For the top portion of the heart, I simply placed a photo half way between the two photos on the row beneath.

The heart is complete!

But you know I couldn't stop here. Not when I had a pile of fun prints still waiting to be used. So I extended the Instagram fun by adhering the photos along the length of the hall.

I even placed a photo in the spot between my craft room and Maggie's room.

I absolutely adore the personality this adds to our upstairs hallway. And you know who else loves it? Yup, my handsome Valentine. I catch him and his baby girl taking it all in on a regular basis. Looks like my $free.99 Valentine's Day surprise is a hit!

Insta-Awesome
If you're looking for a quick and affordable way (sure beats spending bookoo bucks on a bunch of frames) to dress up a bland area of your home, hanging Instagram prints (or any prints, for that matter) is the way to go, yo.

Your Help
I'm always looking for other Instagram display/project ideas. Any suggestions?

Cheers!