Design on a Dime : DIY Gallery Wall for under $50

I've lived, in my LA studio, for a year now and when it comes to design and decor, it's been quite the ongoing project. From choosing the perfect paint color, to spending hours deliberating over coffee tables and sofas, to squeezing a little more space out of what seems like the world's smallest kitchen, it's been quite a journey.

With most of the major projects behind me, I finally decided it was time to do something about the abundance of blank wall space, starting with the focal point of my studio, the wall behind my bed. After looking at hundreds of gallery wall projects on Pinterest, I was ready to tackle my own, but my budget wasn't quite on board.

At this point, it's no secret that I love stretch my coins when it comes to home decor. If there's a way to do it myself, I'll find it!

As I added each beautiful, home decor magazine worthy print and frame to my cart, the price of this project started to look more like the plane ticket for my summer vacation. Being the travel enthusiast that I am, the plane ticket won and the decision to DIY became much easier.

Here's how I created my gallery wall for under $50.

Frames:

Instead of buying beautiful, but pricey, gold frames, I picked up some basic black frames from the Dollar Tree and transformed them a little help from some Rustoleum Metallic gold spray paint.

Prints & Wall Art:

All of the pieces used for my gallery wall were DIY with the exception of the "8" and the Garance Dore, " Beauty" print.

Using my own photos really kept the cost the cost down and made it all the more personal for me.

After breaking the glass on one the frames, I quickly recovered and used a piece of canvas and gorilla glue and fashioned together this 3D Eiffell Tower piece. We'll just call this one a happy accident.

The Hardeware :

To avoid putting unnecessary holes in the wall ( apartment living 101), I used Command Large Picture Hanging Strips and Quake Hold museum putty to keep my precious pieces secure.

The leveler definitely came in handy when it came to trying to figure out if my pictures were crooked or if it was just my crooked wall playing tricks on me again.

** Side Note - Even though Quake Hold claims to be shake proof, I decided against hanging anything over my bed***