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    Home » Home Decorating » DIY Home Decor

    Published: Jul 8, 2021 · Modified: Jul 9, 2021 by Rachel

    Cute and Easy Kid’s Art Display Ideas

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
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    Your budding Picasso’s works of art deserve a proper display! Encourage them with a kid’s art display that will be both attractive and show your pride in their work.

    In my craft room makeover, I am happy to share the space with my son as he works alongside me on homework, doodles, and building lego villages. Like most proud mommas, I could probably wallpaper an entire room with just his favorite artworks. Of course, I want him to feel pride in his art (while saving our poor fridge from looking like a mummy).

    Three wooden planks hanging on white wall as a kid's art display hung on metal wire above work desk with black chair.

    As part of that makeover, I wanted to display some of his original artwork on the walls, and found a really fun way to showcase it in a kid’s art display (more on that in a minute). It is really easy, but I also want to give you some of the best ideas I have seen around the internet to show off those heartfelt creations.

    Children’s Artwork Display Ideas

    Years ago, when I made my son’s gallery wall, there weren’t many options so we had to make one. But times have changed! These are my favorite ideas you can use to create a kid’s art gallery wall or mix and match with our tutorial below for a custom display.

    • Office for 3 kids with photos above the desks.
    • Wire to hang paper from for kid's art display.

    Oversized Photo Holders – Includes 25 clips and mounting hardware to make it so easy to hang! I have also seen cork boards used in much the same way.

    Personalized Sign with Wooden Clothespins – The clothespins are actually glued to the surface here rather than hung by string, which means the string won’t bend. The sting in the photo is only decorative.

    White Clamp Style – Powerful magnets secure the artwork between the two wooden slats, which separate easily to allow for a frequent rotation of their latest and greatest creations.

    Steel Rod Hanging Apparatus – Make your child feel special by displaying art projects, photos, greeting cards and other family keepsakes on the hanging clips, which cascade down or you can buy multiple rods. Wire cable can support 30 LBS and the mounting cylinder brackets have a contemporary chrome finish. 

    How We Built Our DIY Kid’s Art Display

    Supplies

    • 1 x 6 boards (we bought 1 4-foot board and 1 8-foot poplar board, cut in half)
    • Screw Eye hooks (extra long to go through the board and wall)
    • Cable Wire
    • Hanging Clips  – we used these and used approximately 2 per linear foot of board

    *Note: Boards are not really required for this project if you install the screw eyes into studs. We used boards to match the room aesthetic, and to prevent the cable wire tension from pulling the screw eyes together.

    Wooden plank on blue surface next to pile of metal eyelet hooks.

    1. Prepare the Back board

    We cut the boards to our desired length, 48 inches long.

    I used poplar boards with no knots and Early American Stain. I sanded them with 320 grit sandpaper and very slightly rounded the sharp edges. I used a brush on the first coat but the boards were so dry, they soaked in the stain in seconds which made it difficult to fix runs or blemishes. After that, I used a soaked, wadded-up t-shirt for the last 2 coats.

    Corner of wooden plank with metal eyelet screwed by edge with attached metal wire and metal hanging clips.

    Step 2: Pre-drill the Eye Screws

    The boards are hung directly on the wall using the eyelet screws. Of course, we pre-drilled a hole in the board and the wall to anchor the screws.

    Pro Tip: Screw eyes aren’t the easiest to drive in. You can use a screw driver put through the eye and turn it by hand to get more leverage. However, you can also use a Wing Nut driver on a drill.

    Step 3: Decide Positioning and hang board

    After deciding the distance necessary between boards, we held them up to the wall. We used a level and finished screwing the screw eye through the drywall.

    Three wooden planks hanging on white wall with Child's art clipped to hanging metal wire.

    Step 4: Add wire and clips

    After hanging the art display boards, I used wire to string the clips between the eyelet screws. I simply twisted the ends very tight. Because my child’s artwork can vary wildly in size, I mostly use two (or more if really large) clips to hang each piece of art.

    Three wooden planks hanging on white wall with Child's art display clipped to hanging metal wire.

    Looking for More Kids Organization Ideas? Check These Out:

    • Kids Stylish Closet Makeover with Book Storage
    • Small Bathroom Organization Ideas
    • Make Your Own Kid’s Chore Chart

    I love how it finished out his desk area. Now he has his own personal art work area. I thought about putting something like this in his room but it definitely feels like it belongs here.

    The craft room is complete! Check it out:

    White craft room with repurposed kitchen cabinetry, wall art display, pegboard organizer, supply shelf, and organized cardstock display.

    Craft Room Makeover Reveal

    Weekend DIY project. A pegboard organizer in the craft room above the desk workspace.

    Grab our free series "Weekend Home Projects that will Transform Your Life"

    Sign up below to receive updates including free printables, organization tips, home improvement projects, recipes and more!

    More DIY Projects For Kid’s

    • Blue boy's bedroom color scheme with white furniture, tall bed with drawers, blue wall, and baseball bats hanging as art.
      Bedroom Makeover
    • Collage of homework stations and children's desks including maps, chairs, and study aids.
      Homework Station Inspiration
    • Kid's chore chart with chores on the right side and days on the top row.
      Kid’s Chore Chart
    • Boy's blue bedroom closet with open door revealing shelving, laundry hamper, and book shelf on the back of the door.
      Kid’s Closet Makeover
    Create a fun children's fine art gallery in your playroom to display your kid's art

    DIY Kid’s Art Display

    Your budding Picasso's works of art deserve a proper display! Encourage them with a kid's art display that will be both attractive and show your pride in their work.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Project Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Author: Rachel
    Cost: $25

    Tools

    • Screw Driver
    • Wing Nut driver (optional)

    Supplies

    • 3 1 x 6 boards cut to length
    • 6 Screw Eye Hooks 2 per board and long enough to go through the board and wall
    • Cable Wire
    • 14 Hanging Clips

    Instructions

    • Cut boards to desired length and stain or paint as desired. Pay attention to whether the weight requirement (i.e. children pulling on the boards or very heavy mixed media art work) necessitates screwing into studs or using additional wall anchors.
    • Pre-drill holes in the boards and screw the anchor through the board. A wing nut driver makes it easier to screw into the wood, but it is not required. You can thread a screw driver through the eye and twist by hand. The holes should not be too close to the edge or you risk splitting or cracking the wood.
    • Decide spacing between the boards. Hold each board up to the wall at the desired spacing. Use a level and finish drilling the anchors into the walls.
      Create a fun children's fine art gallery in your playroom to display your kid's art
    • Twist the wire around the eye screws tightly. Add clips as desired.
      Create a fun children's fine art gallery in your playroom to display your kid's art

    Notes

    General Notes:
    1. Screw eyes and eyelet lags are terms sometimes used interchangeably for a long screw with a rounded eye on the end similar to a closed hook.
    2. Boards are not really required for this project if you install the screw eyes into studs. We used boards to match the room aesthetic, and to prevent the cable wire tension from pulling the screw eyes together.
    Tried this Project? Tag me Today!Mention @CravingCreative or tag #CravingSomeCreativity!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenny says

      October 13, 2021 at 10:41 am

      Do you know what wood you used?

      Reply
    2. Janan says

      October 30, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Love this and working on doing this for my kids right now! I was wondering how much space is in between the boards? I want to make sure there is enough space to hang stuff without covering up the next row. Looks in the photo like you have them spaced just right!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        November 03, 2020 at 8:46 am

        The distance I have between the boards is 10 inches. Good luck with your project! My son loves it so I am sure your kids will too!

        Reply
    3. Zara says

      August 14, 2020 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      Love your ideas, I’m going to copy a coupe of them.
      Quick question where did you obtain the white three wooden bin on top of the desk that has markers, crayons, and paint.
      Thank you
      Zara

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 19, 2020 at 7:45 am

        I got that at Kohl’s a few years ago. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen one like it for a while.

        Reply
    4. Deb says

      April 26, 2020 at 1:26 am

      5 stars
      Hi, Love the long desk. I am wanting to do something similar. Where did you get it?

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        Thank you! In the craft room (you can see the entire reveal hereyou can see the entire reveal hereyou can see the entire reveal here), I used a set of used kitchen cabinets, painted them, and laid a formica counter top on it. The countertop was actually from our kitchen and we cut it to size. I love it!

        Reply
    5. Beckie says

      January 19, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Did you ever have any problems with everything falling to the middle… how did they all stay in place?

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        January 20, 2020 at 8:46 am

        If there was too much slack in the wire or something heavy, that might happen. I never had problems with art work, but I have tightened the wire before because my son pulled on it to hang something.

        Reply
    6. Sonia says

      August 01, 2019 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      Hi there! I’m planning on making these to hang my son’s artwork from school, and then as he grows, he can hang pictures or posters from it. What thickness is the board you used? Poplar board comes in different thicknesses, and I like the way your’s looks. Thanks for your help!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 05, 2019 at 8:26 pm

        The boards I used are known as 1″x6″ (true measurements are about 3/4″x5.5″). I really hope he likes using it!

        Reply
    7. Jennyfer says

      March 12, 2016 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      I am totally in love with your space! I am like you use to be, stuff everywhere. I love that you included a spot for your son. I am going to keep my daughters in mind when I finally get my spot. They are always into my stuff but I bet it would make them feel pretty special if they had their own spot. Thanks for the idea! It kinda feels like another art angel got her wing when someone get an amazing art space! Lol. Congrats!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        March 18, 2016 at 1:10 am

        Your comment made my day! Probably my entire week, actually. I hope you can find your own spot to enjoy soon!

        Reply
    8. Dalynn Anderson says

      August 29, 2015 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      Where did you get the colors, markers & paint storage at????

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 30, 2015 at 9:37 pm

        I bought that at Kohl’s department store in their home decor section with the picture frames and such.

        Reply
    9. Heart says

      July 23, 2015 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      This is exactly what I **need**. My kids love to draw anything in a paper. Now, I know what to do with their drawings (because they want to keep it). Thank you for sharing. It’s lovely!

      Reply
    10. Christine | Where The Smiles Have Been says

      June 17, 2015 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      I love this! It’s great how it’s so easy to swap out the artwork, and it still looks very classy and doesn’t look juvenile or like it should be in a preschool room. Great job!

      Reply

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