Kids Art Gallery Wall

Kids Art Gallery Wall: large frames, Milk Paint and decorative pieces make a fun and creative space for displaying children’s artwork. 

Ever since my boys were old enough to hold a crayon they have enjoyed doing crafts and creating with me.  Now that my oldest son is in school, I am just loving all his pictures he brings home.  I normally file away the ones I want to keep but was finding that I didn’t really get to enjoy them that way.  I thought making a kids art gallery wall would be just the perfect solution.  Now my boys and someday my daughter have a place that is created just for showcasing them and their artwork!  Using large frames and clipboards makes it a breeze to swap out pictures.  

I was so excited to use one of Plaid’s newest products, FolkArt® Milk Paint, for my project.  Aren’t the little cow like bottles the cutest packaging?  

A few things I love about this Milk Paint is:

• non-toxic and premixed, no need to worry about it spoiling like other powdered versions. 
• It brushes on like a stain but looks like a paint. It’s is absorbed directly into the surface so you can still see the wood grain peeking through!
• It doesn’t fade over time and it will not chip, which is great when little hands may be swapping out their pictures frequently. 

Plaid also created these fabulous brushes that are designed to work perfectly with the Milk Paint and reduce brush strokes. 

To create the larger frames I actually used two out of the 33 Milk Paint colors.  

I went with Tavern Ale and Churned Butter.  You CAN mix the colors to create the shade you need. I painted a light coat of the Tavern Ale and allowed it to dry for 30 minutes, which is the recommended drying time when working with raw wood.  I then brushed on a light coat of the Churned Butter and let that dry as well. When you are working with raw wood you do have the option of using the Finishing Oil which draws out the natural wood, making the color a bit darker and also creates a smooth finish.  

I just used four folded small pieces of painters tape to attach my children’s pictures “in” the frame but you could also attach jute or string to the back of the frame and clip their artwork with clothespins. 

I also created a two tone chicken wire frame for the gallery wall as well.  The look is subtle but that’s just what I wanted.  I want their artwork to stand out more than what’s holding it 🙂  You can certainly make it a more dramatic look by using darker colors. 

For the chicken wire frame I used Cottage Green and Winter Harbor. I simply brushed half of my frame with one color and painted the other half with the remaining color.  

I purposely “feathered” the two colors where they met to create more of an ombre look than a color block. 

You can find large frames, clipboards, decorative wall art and raw wood pieces at any of your local craft stores along with the FolkArt® Milk Paint.  My boys made the colorful canvas art that is hanging on the wall and they were just what this gallery wall was made for! 

This wall is the entrance wall from our back door, so not only do we get to enjoy their artwork but all of our guests get to enjoy it as they enter our home too.  It’s such a happy space full of color and memories. 

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This post is brought to you by Plaid. All opinions are mine.