Decorating

We have a big screen TV mounted on the wall.  I had one picture hanging on each side of it, but it just seemed to look awkward.  I wanted to do something to make it look better, but I had no idea what to do.  Usually, I just decorate with whatever I happen to have (pictures, gifts, things we have had forever, dead animal heads....).

Here is how it looked on one side of the TV.  (I put this picture back up and took this photo so that I would at least have a "before" to show).

I started seeing people talk about gallery walls on local TV shows and saw pictures of them on Pinterest and I wondered if I could do some kind of big screen TV gallery wall.  

I looked and looked at pictures of gallery walls, but every idea gave me the feeling that it would look too cluttered around the TV.

So, started going to stores like Michael's, JoAnn's, Gordman's, and Hobby Lobby to look at decorating items that I might be able to use on a gallery wall.

The first thing I found was a square sign with a saying on it that really touched me because of the struggles and trials that we have gone through in the last six years.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot,

Thou hast taught me to say...

It is well,

It is well, 

With my soul.

So that sign became my starting point.

I thought that some black and white canvas prints would look good on the left side of the TV.  But, canvas prints are expensive, so I searched online to see if I could find a way to make your own canvas prints.  Sure enough, you can make canvas prints with with canvas from the craft store, 8 x 10's from Sam's Photo, and Mod Podge.  

The top photo is me with my sons.

The second one is of three of my grandchildren.

The third photo is me with my daughter.

And the fourth one is of the other two grandchildren.

I hung the canvases with Command Strips so that I can change them out as often as I want to (since they are so cheap and easy to make).  

I knew that something needed to be above the TV, but it had to be something that seemed open and didn't fill up the space.  

I found some shelves at Target that seemed like they were perfect and I was so happy when I came home and held them up there and thought they looked exactly like what I had in mind.

I had a metal letter B (to represent our last name) that had a rusty finish.  I thought that metallic silver would fit in better with the black and white theme that just kind of happened.  So, I spray painted it along with a wooden arrow that I had.

I think I made a pretty awesome gallery wall.

Even with a moose head sticking his big nose into it.