We made a few small updates to the nursery gallery wall while the kitchen project is underway (more on the kitchen tomorrow). Since we changed the arrangement and added several frames, we wanted to share the refreshed layout and answer some questions about what’s inside each frame. We love the idea that Clara’s art wall will grow and evolve with her, so here’s how it looked before:
And here’s the wall now, after adding a few more frames and shifting the positions of several pieces to balance the display:
Below is a quick, tidy rundown of everything we’ve framed on Clara’s wall, including a mix of purchased prints, DIY pieces, and sentimental keepsakes. Some notes mention where items originally came from, but for convenience we’ve removed external link formatting so you can focus on the ideas and how to recreate them at home.
- John’s baby photo and my baby photo—framed side by side for fun comparisons and to give Clara faces she recognizes.
- A playful doodle of Burger that a friend drew on a social post; we printed it on card stock and framed it to preserve the quirky drawing.
- A charming print of a girl and her dog we purchased from an independent seller — it reminds us of Clara and Burger together.
- A personalized canvas that reads Clara Kenley, chosen to add a custom touch and a bold focal piece.
- A stylized photo of Burger that I edited to create a bright, graphic portrait of him in a field of flowers, printed on heavy paper.
- Two faux butterflies mounted in a small shadowbox, backed with patterned paper to coordinate with the nursery palette.
- A homemade silhouette of Clara cut from cardstock and set against striped paper to keep the look graphic and simple.
- A giraffe print from a small online shop since Clara adores giraffes and dogs; it brings a whimsical, childlike element to the display.
- A framed Skinny Cow magazine ad featuring a giraffe—framing pages from magazines you own is a great way to repurpose imagery for personal use.
- A large letter P decoupaged with colorful paper for a playful, tactile piece that nods to the family name.
- A typographic print of peas in a pod made from repeated letter P characters—an amusing, subtle family reference since our last name starts with P.
- A silhouette of Burger that John had commissioned years ago; we updated the backing with patterned paper to make it feel nursery-appropriate.
- Clara’s hospital bracelet glued to pink construction paper and placed in a chunky frame without glass so it’s visible and protected.
- A Sweet N Low magazine ad with an owl, framed for its sweet, retro feel and to add variety to the collection.
Seven of the framed pieces cost nothing: our baby photos, the Burger doodle, the stylized Burger print, the Skinny Cow ad, the Sweet N Low ad, and Clara’s hospital bracelet. We simply framed items we already owned or printed images on card stock. Free or low-cost wall art is perfect for nurseries—easy to swap out as tastes change and great for keeping baby entertained during diaper changes (Clara loves looking at the pictures and stays much calmer when there’s something to look at).
Interestingly, many of these frames were part of Clara’s very first nursery too, although their arrangement and a few of the pieces have changed over time. Reusing frames and rotating artwork keeps the room feeling fresh without a big investment.
One of our favorite features on the wall is the pair of baby pictures. Clara loves pointing and saying “Daddy baby!” and “Mommy baby!” and we enjoy comparing traits in each photo to see which features she’s inherited. Here’s John’s baby photo a bit closer:
And here’s mine:
We get a kick out of both of us having our mouths open in those shots. Now the fun question: who do you think Clara looks more like? Family members are split—most say she favors John, but I spot little mommy traits too (totally biased, of course). Feel free to weigh in and cast a playful vote for Team Daddy or Team Mommy.
Quick aside: one of the five finalists in a recent design-related initiative is a reader named Melissa Matthews, who entered after hearing about the contest via a giveaway mention. She made the finals and we were thrilled to receive her excited note. If you want to support any finalist, you can vote through the contest platform; note that each vote also triggered a charitable donation to Save The Children’s U.S. programs as part of the campaign.
If you’re planning your own nursery gallery wall, a few practical tips: mix sentimental items with purchased art, use a variety of frame sizes and styles for visual interest, back pieces with complementary patterned paper to tie the display to the room palette, and don’t be afraid to reuse and rotate pieces as your child grows. The best gallery walls evolve with time—and they’re a lovely way to celebrate the small, meaningful things that make a room feel like home.