5 Creative Ways to Display Your Family Photos in Your Home
Whether you want to relive precious memories, showcase your loved ones, or personalize your living space, displaying family photos in your home is a fantastic way to achieve all of these goals. Family photos add warmth, personality, and a sense of nostalgia to any room. In this blog post, we will explore five creative ways to display your family photos, ranging from traditional frames to unique and unexpected options. Let's dive in and find the perfect display method for your cherished memories!
Frames: Creating a Wall Gallery in Your Bedroom, Living Room, Hallway, Dining Room or Staircase
Displaying family photos in frames is a classic and timeless approach. Frames come in various sizes, styles, and materials, allowing you to find the perfect match for your home's decor. One popular option is to create a wall gallery in your bedroom, hallway, or staircase. You can also use canvas, acrylic or metal prints instead of frame prints. Here's how you can achieve this stunning display:
Choose a theme
Decide on a theme that connects your family photos. It could be a particular event, vacation, or a specific color scheme. Or if you had professional portraits taken it could be your favourite pictures from your Maternity, Newborn, Baby Milestone, Family Photoshoot or even your Wedding pictures.
Select frames
Choose frames that complement your theme and the style of your home. You can opt for matching frames for a cohesive look or mix and match different frames for an eclectic vibe. Or choose to have your pictures printed on canvas, metal or acrylic instead.
Plan the layout
Before hanging the frames, lay them out on the floor or use paper cutouts to visualize the arrangement. Experiment with different layouts until you find the perfect arrangement that pleases your eye.
Hang with care
Once you're satisfied with the layout, start hanging the frames on the wall. Use a level to ensure they are straight and evenly spaced. Consider using adhesive hooks if you're concerned about damaging your walls.
Creating a wall gallery with frames, canvas, metal or acrylic art, not only showcases your family's milestones but also adds an artistic touch to your home decor.
Choosing Just One Image to Make a Bold Statement
Or choose to showcase one favourite portrait in a frame or a stand alone canvas or metal piece. We love the saying “Go Big or Go Home” when it comes to your one frame on the wall. Your photographer can help you choose the right size for the space you are looking to use, or you can cut out cardboard or brown Kraft paper that you can buy on a roll from your local Staples or home improvement store to measure out the outside of the frame and tape them up with painters tape to see what size looks best. You want to think of making a big impact on your wall! And you’ll love looking at your happy family memories everyday.
Check out our curated gallery wall examples over on our Gallery Wall Pinterest board to give you some great ideas for your home - and it includes examples using mixed media which will chat more about later on.
Album: On the Coffee Table or Bookshelf in the Living Room
For those who prefer a more organized and compact display, albums offer a convenient option. Placing a photo album on your coffee table or bookshelf in the living room encourages guests to flip through the pages and discover your family's story. Your kids will love going through your albums every year. I’m sure you remember looking through your grandparents or parents albums to see how little you looked or how life on the farm was in black and white. It’s a pretty special thing to have a tangible part of your history to pass down to your children. In this technological world I’m afraid that there will be a whole generation of kids that will not have any proof of their younger years. Technology can fail (harddrives don’t last forever and we all know what happened to floppy discs and cd’s are making their way out). It’s why it’s so important to print your pictures and an album is a great way to see all of your favourites from a photoshoot or special time in your life). Photo albums are my number one recommendation to families looking to pass their history onto their kids, and it’s what I personally make sure to create when I have my own family’s pictures taken (and my kids love looking at them and seeing how much they have grown often). You’ll never regret investing in your family’s memories in a big way like with an album!
Here's how you can create an eye-catching display with photo albums:
Choose an album
Look for an album that matches your personal style and complements your living room decor (when purchasing a custom album from a photographer they will often have colour swatches for you to choose from). You can select a traditional photo album with slots for inserting pictures or a modern album where the pictures are printed right on the page (the most common from photographers and made with archival inks and papers meant to last generations).
Organize and personalize
Arrange your family photos in a chronological or thematic order, and consider adding captions or descriptions to provide context. Personalize the album cover with a family name or a meaningful quote if you are making them yourself from an online consumer printing lab or with a slip in album you bought from a local store (example Homesense has some pretty ones).
Display with intention
Place the photo album on your coffee table or bookshelf, ensuring it's easily accessible. Consider adding a decorative tray or a small stand to elevate the album and make it a focal point of the space. You can add other decorative decor near by like a vase of fresh or artificial flowers, and other knickknacks to really make it feel like your personality. I love decorating with all the colours of the rainbow but on my bookshelf I have every colour separated so I have different colour family albums on different shelves to add to the whole vibe of the shelf.
An album on the coffee table or bookshelf not only preserves your family memories but also invites guests to engage and connect with your family's journey.
Pro tip: You may want to wait to put your album on the coffee table until the kids are bit older, unless you have a no drinks or snacks rule in your living room as I imagine a juice spill would not be fun to clean up!
See fun ways to display your photo albums on coffee tables and on bookshelves including colour coordinated ones (super love!) on my Album Display Pinterest board.
Accordion Albums: Perfect for Your Child's Dresser or Your Purse or Office
Accordion albums are a charming and portable way to display family photos. These foldable albums are perfect for sitting on your child's dresser, keeping in your purse, or placing on your office desk. They are exclusively custom designed by photographers and sold to their clients as a fun way to remember your favourite images from your session. Here's how you can incorporate accordion albums into your everyday life:
Choose an accordion album
Depending on which photographer you buy them from, they often are available in various designs, allowing you to find one that matches your style and preferences. Some have custom covers with your picture on it and others can have linen or leather front and back covers. There is usually a style that fits each client from simple to more complex.
Select your favorite photos
Pick a selection of your most cherished family photos and your photographer will print them in small sizes within the accordion album sides.
Personalize and protect
Many come with decorative touches, such as washi tape or fun text, to make the album more personalized. You can often change the text to suit your session and most photographers can add in words like your newborn baby’s birth information on a panel as well. You can even add a protective cover or keep them in a keepsake bag to make sure photos are safe from wear and tear.
Display wherever you go
Place the accordion album on your child's dresser or carry it in your purse. You can also keep one at your office to bring a touch of home and remind you of your loved ones during the workday.
Accordion albums are a versatile option that allows you to keep your family memories close, whether you're at home, at work, or on the go.
Pro Tip: Accordion Albums are not meant to last generations as they do not use archival inks and papers but are a fun way to display images in a smaller format. They can last many years if well taken care of. I have one that is 15 years old and looks great! But do expect a little bit of wear along the fold lines depending on how many times you look at them. My kids love having one from when they were babies and they keep them in their dresser drawer or on a shelf to take out and look at whenever they want.
Keepsake Box: A Special Place for Mementos
If you have family photos and other precious mementos that you want to keep together, a keepsake box is an ideal solution. A keepsake box provides a dedicated space to store and display items that hold sentimental value. Follow these steps to create a meaningful keepsake box display:
Select a keepsake box
Choose a box that resonates with your personal style and complements your home decor. You can find boxes made of wood, metal, or even fabric. As a professional photographer I offer a keepsake box with matted prints for my clients in a beautiful linen fabric. It’s a great way to keep your prints private or be able to take them out to put in frames or on easels throughout your home. It’s a favourite for maternity portrait clients especially because they may not want to display all of their images but like to put a few in frames in their bedroom or baby’s nursery.
Gather your mementos
Collect your family photos, handwritten letters, small trinkets, or any other items that hold significance to your family. Arrange them in the keepsake box with care. You can make individual boxes for each child and hold things like a lock of hair from their first hair cut or a baby shoe or rattle.
Arrange and decorate
Organize your mementos thoughtfully within the box, layering them or using dividers to create sections. Consider adding decorative elements like dried flowers or ribbons to enhance the visual appeal.
Display with pride
Place the keepsake box on a prominent shelf, coffee table, or mantel. This not only creates a visually appealing display but also allows you to easily access and reminisce about the memories whenever you desire.
A keepsake box is a cherished treasure that preserves and showcases your family's most precious memories, creating a beautiful and meaningful display in your home.
Wall Gallery: Mixed Media and Home Decor Above Your Couch
For a bold and artistic statement, consider creating a wall gallery with mixed media and home decor elements that incorporate your family photos. This approach allows you to integrate photos into a larger composition, adding depth and interest to your space. Here's how you can create a captivating wall gallery:
Collect your materials
Gather a collection of family photos, along with other items like mirrors, artwork, wall hangings, and decorative objects. Look for pieces that complement each other in terms of color, theme, or style.
Plan the layout
Lay out the items on the floor or use paper cutouts to experiment with different arrangements. Aim for a balanced composition that fills the space above your couch without overwhelming it.
Mix and match
Combine family photos with other elements, such as framed artwork or mirrors, to create a visually interesting display. Vary the sizes and orientations of the frames for added intrigue.
Hang with precision
Start by hanging the largest items first, using a level to ensure they're straight. Fill in the gaps with smaller frames or decorative elements. Leave enough space between each piece to create a cohesive look.
A wall gallery with mixed media and home decor elements showcases your family photos in a captivating way, turning your living room into a personalized and visually stunning space. Our family has a mixed media wall display above our couch that includes artistic paintings, family pictures in different types of frames, metal prints, a hanging canvas that has pins that we’ve collected on it from our vacations, mementos from our cross country vacations, prints about camping and it’s all in a very bright and vibrant colour palette that adds a cheerful vibe to our living space. We have a very large 13 foot long couch so it fills it right across on top of the couch with our 10 foot high ceilings but still has breathing space on each side. It honestly brings me so much joy to look at! And is my favourite wall in my home!!
Find the Perfect Display for Your Family Photos
Family photos hold cherished memories and serve as a testament to the love and bonds that unite us. By displaying them creatively in your home, you not only create a warm and welcoming environment but also give life to the stories and experiences that shape your family. Whether you choose traditional frames, albums, accordion albums, keepsake boxes, or wall galleries, the possibilities for showcasing your family photos are endless. Embrace your creativity and let your home become a gallery that celebrates your family's unique journey.
Remember, the most important aspect of displaying family photos is to choose the method that resonates with your personal style and makes you feel connected to your memories. So go ahead, start curating your family photo display, and let your home become a haven of love, nostalgia, and joy!
Much love,
Jen
P.S. Want Epic Family Photos? If you are looking for new family pictures for your wall and are in the Kingston, Ontario, Canada area I would love to chat! I recommend getting updated family portraits once a year while your kids are under 18. They will change so much and it’s a great way of honouring their journey through life and will be happy memories you will cherish when they move out and have families of their own one day! You can learn more about family photos with Jennifer Willard Photography by clicking below.
Jennifer Willard has been a Maternity, Newborn, Baby, Children and Family Photographer for 12 years and serves the Kingston, Ontario area. She creates beautiful portraits for parents who love to celebrate the joy children bring to their lives. Her photographs are instantly known for their bright and vibrant portrait style. She lives with her funny husband and active children in Odessa, Ontario.