How to frame, hang concert posters

It’s been a while since I made a post on my home, so I thought right now was the perfect time. Everyone is starting to get in spring-cleaning mode, and what’s a better way to change up your space than hanging something new on the walls?

One of my favorite forms of art is old concert posters. I think they are so vintage and classic, but still can look clean and polished if you frame them correctly. Don’t think about your teenage bedroom- think about a funky, new-age loft.

My mom got me five amazing posters from some of my favorite artists in New Orleans… for $1 a piece! She brought them back and helped me frame, and hang, them once we had our hallway painted. (Yeah, she’s an angel.)

Below is how we styled my concert posters, and how you can too!

You’ll need scissors or an X-Acto knife (which will change your life if you don’t have one), a ruler, nails or hooks, and a hammer for the basic framing and hanging. I’ll talk more about the frames below.

First, get a mental image of how you want your posters to look when they make it on the wall. Do you want them scattered in a gallery wall? Or diagonally stacked, like mine? What color room are you hanging them in? This is all important as to the size and color of the frames you will purchase.

Once you figure that out, I suggest buying frames that do not require a mat. It will save you time (and stress) if you can make your poster fit in the frame. My posters were closest to the frame size 11×14– they needed a little trimming for a perfect fit. For the frames, I suggest buying ones that the 4 edges slide off and then slide back on to reconnect. These are perfect! (via Amazon)

This is how these kinds of frames work: Lay your poster on top of the cardboard that comes with the frame. Trim your poster to the exact size of the cardboard, using your ruler as a straight edge. Then, lay the poster on top of the cardboard and start with one of the the SIDE edges- I’ve found that this makes the rest of the process so much easier. Slide on the side piece, encompassing the cardboard, poster, and glass (or plastic).

Getting started is the hard part- now you just have to add the other three sides! I suggest doing the top piece second, bottom piece third, and adding the other side piece last. Viola! You’re done! (Now, just do that to every poster.)

Arrange your posters

Once you’re finished framing, take the posters to the area you want to hang them in. At this stage, it helps to have another person to help you arrange the frames in the order you want.

Your frames will have some sort of hanging mechanism on the back, probably a small triangle hook. Pencil in where you want the nail to go, and hammer in the nail (a flat hook against the wall will work better if you have the triangle hook attached to your frame). Hang and repeat.

Tip: If you have plaster walls like I do, place a piece of masking take over the penciled spot where you’re planning to hammer. It will prevent your walls from crumbling!

You did it! If you like this look, or use this tutorial, please leave me a comment or photo showing your progress! And if you want more posts like this, let me know in the comments.

Happy decorating!