How to: Display Your Photos

When it comes to photos, I like to display our most favorite. Because, I mean, really, what is the point of taking them just to have them live on my computer? Back in our last few houses, I always displayed tons of photos in those magnetic sleeves on our refrigerator. But then when it came time to list our house for sale, I took them all down (because in staging a home, you’re not supposed to display too many personal items – it distracts the potential buyers, and then it also makes it harder for them to picture living there). After all the photos came down, the refrigerator looked so naked! It had to be rectified after the next move.

But I wanted to do something different.

And so when we moved back here (three years ago next week!), I set my sights on decorating the two long pantry doors in the small eat-in portion of the kitchen. It was a perfect blank canvas.

For about two and a half years, they looked like this:

Just stuck on with rolled up tape. Easy. And pretty effective. The kids love to look up at the pictures from both the past and the present, point out who’s who, and guess on some of the baby pictures. They get seen and enjoyed by us and visitors on a regular basis.

Love.

But then, a few months ago, they began to look a little messy to me.

And all the sudden, I couldn’t stand it anymore.

I had to fix it.

I wanted to display just as many photos, but make it neater.

Cleaner.

But what to do?

Inspiration struck.

I enlisted the kids’ helping in carefully taking down the pictures.

And started with a blank canvas again.

My how empty that looks, doesn’t it?

Weird.

And, quite honestly, boring.

But then we got busy.

Staples, Target, and other stores have these thin cork bulletin board tiles. They have double-sided adhesive squares included in the package, to affix onto your surface, and they go up in minutes. Sold four to a pack, I found the cheapest price at Target ($6.99 a package, with an extra 5% off if you have their special Target debit card).

Using three packages of tiles, I applied them to the center of the pantry doors. Then, I found round, shiny, brassy thumbtacks to affix all the pictures to the cork board tiles. I wanted to use those particular thumbtacks to give it a little punch, a pop of shine, if you will. If you use thumbtacks, be sure you have copies of all your precious pictures. I have duplicates of most of these.

I overlapped each picture a little, to fit the most amount of photos on each tile, making sure to still have the main focus of the picture very visible, but allowing a small piece of cork board border to appear; again, to keep some clean lines and symmetry. And stuff.

So much better.

A nice easy way to display tons of treasured photos in a spot where they can be enjoyed regularly.

Please share … how do YOU display your favorite photographs?

PS – Tonight was supposed to be a restaurant review. Although the post is written, after spending an hour searching for the pictures on my computer, I’m still turning up empty. Hopefully next week.
PPS – Be sure to enter the jetBlue giveaway from last night – still time!
PPSS – Tomorrow? Another Summer Bucket List 2012 item off the list.

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