Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Shutterfly through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about Shutterfly, all opinions are my own.
Some time around three years ago I got the bug to have some gorgeous outdoor family pictures taken. You know, the flawless ones you see on Pinterest. I shopped for coordinating outfits for weeks, watched YouTube videos on how to get flawless on-camera makeup while not gluing my eyelids shut, and scoured our town for the perfect field with the perfect weeds we could frolic in. The day arrived with superb weather, no toddler meltdowns, nor wardrobe malfunctions, and our photographer got some beautiful shots of our family (I still use those pictures on my “About Me” page). I loved those photos when we took them and I find I love them even more now because my kids were so tiny in them. You forget they are growing before your eyes.
And since the day I got the proofs back I’ve been meaning to get some printed and display them in our home. Indecision and life just got in the way and before I knew it, three years went by. I started to notice friends’ houses and families’ hallways covered in their babies and old family vacations. “Gallery walls” filled their stairways and snapshots covered their shelves, and I started to feel a little guilty. The photo situation at our house was sad to say the least. Just a couple of department store diapered-baby shots hung from when our kids were brand new. It was time to do something!
So I did a little research. I was looking for a way to have a small gallery of our family but with a modern edge… trying to avoid the 1980’s class photo with the laser beam background in the tiny frames from living rooms gone by look. (You know what I mean.) I wanted fresh and modern but still pictures of us. It is our house after all and being surrounded by photos and memories of us is part of what makes this house feel comfortable and like home. My answer was found in metal prints from Shutterfly.
The sample photos on their site had me sold. Basically, they can print your photos on thin sheets of metal, in either a glossy or matte finish. I chose the glossy, true-to-color option, uploaded my photos, and arranged them on the website into a gallery wall option I liked. There were several arrangements and sizes to choose from. I tried to keep our entryway size in mind when ordering, and went with something close.
My prints actually arrived early and were packed really well. I was nervous that they might get bent in shipping but not a chance. (We’ve got plenty of bubble wrap and cardboard for the move now!) The colors are vibrant and extremely glossy. I arranged them a bit on our dining room table and came up with a configuration I liked. It’s slightly different than the configuration I ordered but it’s really easy to change your mind with the templates provided.
Time to get to work. I think I had the entire project done in less than 30 minutes. Here’s our entry before. I love the mirror (my brother-in-law made it) but I’ve got plans for that in another spot. I also recently refinished a midcentury dresser that is going in place of the teal table– a DIY of years past J. (I look very serious when I take before pictures)
First thing I did was measure for the center of the wall and tape the provided template up using a level.
The template shows you exactly where to make your holes (or hole for smaller prints) and where the top of the print will end up. I used simple pushpins to mark the holes. Worked great.
Then I worked from the center outward and added each piece. (You can really see the glossy finish in this shot.)
The brackets are already attached to each print (woo hoo) and add a nice space between the wall and the metal print. Kind of makes them look like they’re floating when on the wall. And that slot just slips right over your nail.
And seriously, about 30 minutes later I was done. This is one of those projects that, every time I walk by it now, I ask why I didn’t do it sooner. I’m so in love with our entryway now. It’s modern, colorful, full of my DIY treasures, and us.
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