This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Personal Creations. I was compensated and given free product in exchange for this post, but all opinions are 100% my own.
A few years ago, my mom scanned and printed dozens of old family photos and hung a beautiful photo gallery wall going up their stairs. The black and white photos are matted with white and framed in black, and they depict family members going back several generations. Guests always remark how beautiful the gallery is, and they spend time walking up the steps and examining the photos. But when they came to the top of the steps, there was a blank wall.
When I told my mom that I would be able to create a Puzzle of Life photo gallery, she thought it might be a nice way to fill up the blank wall at the top of the stairs. The Puzzle of Life frames are designed to tell your family’s story through pictures, words, and illustrations. Since she already had a lovely gallery of family photos, my mom and I designed this gallery to feature all the homes in which my parents have lived (there have been quite a few).
Although the frames also come in a variety of stained wood finishes, we decided to design the gallery using painted frames in black and white to mimic the black and white gallery she already had. The large piece in the center is the only piece in the gallery with the black finish, so that it stands out. The Bible passage engraved in the wood sets the tone for the whole gallery.
When you are creating your Puzzle of Life gallery, I suggest sketching out your design on a piece of paper as you go. Identify each puzzle piece with the appropriate letter for its shape (A, B, C, D, or E) so that when you check out, you can just select 2 As and 3 Cs, etc. The puzzle gallery we designed is huge, almost 4 feet by 3 feet, and is made of 11 different puzzle piece frames.
We could have chosen to personalize each individual puzzle frame, but instead we decided to focus on the photos themselves. My mom and I were both impressed by the quality of the frames, which are handmade by Amish woodworkers. The puzzle pieces fit together beautifully, without sticking or scraping.
When you hang your gallery, give special care to the first piece you hang as it will set the mark for the rest of the gallery. Make sure it is perfectly level before moving onto the rest of the gallery. The interlocking pieces give some support to each other, so once you get hanging things go more quickly than you might expect. I strongly recommend using Command picture hanging strips for as many pieces as you are able. I hung the top row of the gallery with nails for stability, and hung the bottom two rows with strips. The Command strip frames went up in half the time the top row took.
While you can make your photo gallery as large as you would like, you can also begin with a smaller set and add to it over time. A starter set engraved with a couples’ wedding date would make a thoughtful wedding present. The couple could add the puzzle gallery with each life event. New baby? Add a puzzle piece. New home? One more puzzle piece!
Are you thinking that a Puzzle of Life gallery would look darn good on your wall? Personal Creations is offering Mad in Crafts readers a 20% discount off of their entire purchase! Just enter the coupon code, PCSM20, at checkout. Be sure to also enter the giveaway widget below for a chance to win a $100 credit toward a Personal Creations purchase. You could choose from a variety of Puzzle of Life starter sets with that $100!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Personal Creations
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Thanks, Jessica
This is such a cute idea. I must try this at home!
Turned out great Jess! I love these! I also loved your tip about the Command picture strips, we should have done those!
I’d love to hang it in the living room above the fireplace.
I would probably put it in the living room so everyone can see it!
LOVE! I would hang it in the dining room as our living room is all windows and no walls!
I’d hang it in my family room =)
I would hang it in our living room
I’d put this in our living room!
I have a blank space in the front room that would look great covered with one of these!
I’ve never seen anything like this! What a GREAT idea! ox
This is awesome!
Adorable! I’d hang it in my entryway!
I would hang this in the living room that way everyone would be able to see it.
Hmmm, well my living room walls are pretty full…lol, but I have a few blank spots in my bedroom that would work 😉
probably in the living room
My living room or going up the steps.
Love this so much! I would hang it on our huge (still) blank wall in our family room!!
We’d love to hang this in the entryway.
I would put it in my living room for everyone to see
i would hang this beautiful piece in my bedroom
i would love to hang it in the living room
I would love to have this in my living room!
My living room would be the perfect place!
I LOVE this! Such a uniquely amazing piece!
In my living room
We’re expecting our 14th and 15th grandbabies this year! What a wonderful way to display them all!
I would hang this in my family room.
What a fantastic gift idea!
Hello! I would put a puzzle of life in my entry way. Thank-you!!
It would look great in our living room!
I would hang it in my kitchen.
In our living room
Getting ready to buy a new home. So the possibilities, are endless!
Thank you, for the chance to win!
~peace~
I think i would hang it in the nursery!
In my entry way to the laundry room
On my stairs!
I was thinking of a beach them with shells
I would hang this in my living room so pretty
I would put it in the family room since that is where everyone spends the most time at
Living room or gift it to my parents
There’s a lovely blanks spot right at the entry point of my home that would fit nicely!
I’m in love with this !!! I would put it in my family room
In the family room!
Great idea. I can see this in my entry.