Alaina's in Mexico and needs a guest blogger take 2: Emily of Emily A. Clark

Thanks so much to Alaina for asking me [Emily of Emily A. Clark blog] to do a guest post while she's away, basking in the sun. Since I'm sure she'll bring back lots of great vacation photos (to make us all green with envy!), I thought this would be a good time to share my love of gallery walls with you. Although not a new idea, they are a lovely way to share your family photos or favorite artwork while making a big, and relatively inexpensive, statement on that huge bare wall that always stares at you. While not everyone can afford a huge piece of artwork, a large grouping of frames can have the same dramatic impact as the focal point of your room or hallway.

While I love the look of the eclectic gallery wall with all shapes, sizes and subject matters. . . .

Lately I've been feeling the uniform, symmetrical displays (maybe due to the general lack of organization in my own home!):

But, let's face it - to achieve maximum impact, you need a lot of frames and a lot of frames can add up, even at $10-15 a pop at places like IKEA. So, I'll share my source for cheap frames (and do-it-yourself mats): the 2-pack utility frames at Michael's craft store. These may not be a secret to most, but I just discovered them a few months ago and love them! They are metal and come in white and black and can easily be spray painted. You can get the 11 x 14 size in a 2-pack for just $7! Then, just walk over a couple of aisles to the poster board section and pick up a 5-pack of the 11 x 14 size and you have instant mats. No, I don't cut them out; I place the photos right on top of them. It may not be the proper thing to do, but it sure is fast--and a huge cost-savings!

Here's a small collection I recently did for my daughter's room:

And, another collection of the frames for a client's room that we painted hot pink:

Need more ideas on what to frame? Try searching Ebay and Etsy for vintage postcards, magazine covers, photography books, colorful note cards or even old sheet music. Go bold, and go big. The possibilities are limitless!