Create a Photowall with Magnetic Frames

There are three ways to create a Photowall with Fridgi Magnetic Frames. You can use:

1 – Magic Mounts

2 – Magnetic Paint

3 – Metal Panels

The end result of all 3 is that the wall becomes magnetically “attractive” and a Fridgi will stick to it, although it sounds complex and technical it’s actually pretty easy.

1 – Create a Photowall with Magic Mounts

Magic Mounts are probably the easiest way to create a Photowall – just peel and stick. The mount goes on the wall and the Fridig attaches to it. If you can put a stamp on an envelope you can create a Photowall with Magic Mounts. You can make your Photowall whatever size & shape you want and you can easily change or add photos over time. See the Magic Mount Product Page for more information on Magic Mounts.

magnetic photo frames being used to make a photo wall in a modern lounge room

Advantages

- Easy to put up, no tools required.

- Inexpensive.

- Easy to change photos.

- Easy to add new photos & frames.

- Frames don’t need to be continually “straightened” as they are held in place by magnets.

- Frames and mounts together are less than 3.5 mm thick.

Drawbacks

- Frame position can easily be micro adjusted but a Magic Mount cannot be easily repositioned after is has been stuck to a surface.

- Without a frame on top the mounts can be seen.

HOT TIP - Use some low tack masking tape or string to mark where your Photowall is going to go on the wall the start putting up your frames, start from the bottom and work your way up.

The Magic Mounts use a permanent indoor adhesive, so they stick pretty well. You will need to take your time when you put up your frames as once pressed onto the surface the mounts will not be easily removed or repositioned. Because the bond between the frame and the mount is magnetic you can easily make micro adjustments to the frames position to get it perfect. You will need to be careful when trying to remove a mount (they are designed to stay attached) especially if the surface you have stuck them to is not in good condition (e.g. old paint) then some of the surface make peel off when you try and remove or reposition a mount. They may leave some sticky residue behind which can be removed with appropriate solvent.

2 – Create a Photowall with Magnetic Paint

Magnetic Paint is another easy way to create a Photowall. The paint (it’s available from large hardware stores and specialist paint retailers) has magnetically attractive particles in it, brush it on like normal paint, let it dry & it’s magnetic . You can paint over the magnetic paint to make it “invisible” so it matches the rest of your room. All you need to do is decide what size and shape to paint you Photowall (working out in advance how many frames you want to put up will help). As with Magic Mounts you can make your Photowall whatever size & shape you want and you can easily change photos. The size of your Photowall will limited to area you paint, if you think you might want to add to it over time put down some extra paint each side.

magnetic pciture frames sticking to magnetic paint on a wall

Advantages

- A paint brush is the only tool you will need.

- Inexpensive to put up (may cost more than using Magic Mounts).

- Easy to move photos.

- Easy to change photos.

- Frames do not need to be continually “straightened” as they are held in place by magnets.

- Frames are less than 3.0 mm thick.

Drawbacks

- It can take a few days to complete the process (paint, let dry, paint again…..)

- Once painted it’s not that easy to expand the size of your Photowall.

HOT TIP -Use lots of light layers to buildup the amount of magnetic paint as this will help avoid any brush strokes. Put on a few extra layers so the paint has a strong level of “magnetic” hold. If you are painting over the magnetic paint make sure you put an extra layer of magnetic paint down to compensate for the magnets needing “grip” though the final masking layer of paint.

3 Create a Photowall with Metal Panels

Placing a metal panel on your wall is another easy way to create a Photowall. You can use a large Panel (available from hardware stores) or several smaller panels (memo board sized). Putting up a panel can be done without tools using double sided tape or glue. With a metal panel your can position or move your frames to anywhere on the painted area. This make it easy to change the layout of your frames whenever you want. Buying a large panel is an easy and cost effective way to create a Photowall.

magnetic frames on a large metal panel in a modern apartment creating a stylish photowall

Advantages

- Is cost effective for large Photowalls.

- Easy to move photos.

- Easy to change photos.

- Frames do not need to be continually “straightened” as they are held in place by magnets.

- Frames are less than 3mm thick so they barely stand out from the wall.

Drawbacks

- Tools maybe required.

- Without frames on top the metal panel will look like a whiteboard in your house, cover it with photos and frames and it will look amazing!

HOT TIP 1 – Use thin metal as this will save on weight and cost (o.6mm is suitable). HOT TIP 2 - If you are putting up a big panel get a friend over to help, 4 sets of hands makes it a lot easier (and if you are putting up lots of photos and frames a second set of hands is great). HOT TIP 3 – When laying out your frames create a “framing effect” for the Photowall by placing frames neatly around the edge of the Panel. This defines the outer edge of the the Photowall and has the effect of drawing the eye into the Photowall.

Putting up a panel with tape or adhesive is quite easy and you won’t require any tools, we do recommend if you are building a really big Photowall you physically attach the panels to the wall . The larger the panel and the more frames you have on display the heavier it will be.

7 Things to consider

Before you put up your Photowall checkout 7 things to consider for an in-depth discussion of the things you should consider when deciding where and how big your Photowall is going to be. If you are going to create a Photowall using one of the methods mentioned here let us know when you place your order and we’ll send the relevant Instruction & Tip Sheet to you.

The differences between Magic Mounts, Magnetic Paint & Metal Panels

All offer an easy way to create a Photowall in your home. A steel panel or magnetic paint gives you more flexibility in displaying and repositioning your photos and frames as you can move the frames around however you like. Magic Mounts offer less flexibility as the mounts attach to the wall, once attached they remain in the same position, you can easily remove and reattach the Fridgi and change the photo but you cannot easily move the mount. Magic Mounts are the easiest to put up. Magic Mounts or smaller metal panels provide more flexibility if you want to add to your Photowall at a later date as it is easy to add more mounts or small panels. If your Photowall is made with a large metal panel is not so easy to add to, unless you add another large panel. With magnetic paint you will need to do more painting.