I feel like a kid that has just moved into her very own big girl room. Since 2020, I have not had a dedicated office / creative space for myself. What square footage I claimed was messy, chaotic, and shared with other humans. It was a dumping ground for everything that didn't have a home somewhere else. But I have my own office in our new home! It's a luxury I am thoroughly enjoying. I'm already feeling more focused and inspired...even more so with my new gallery wall.
The wall in my creative space is a mix of hoops made by other hands, patterns I've stitched from other designers, and prototypes for my own designs. It's a bit of a mishmash and I LOVE it.
While the video I shared on social media makes it look like I whipped it together in seconds using supernatural speed, in actuality it only took 25 minutes. Not bad, especially since my real speed was closer to a sloth than a gazelle.
How can you put a large gallery wall together in less than half an hour? Well, by using magic of course! The magic of clear push pins.
Note: a thumbtack has a large, flat head that you push in with your thumb, while a pushpin has a spool-shaped head that you also push in with your thumb. I didn't know the difference until I started writing this article. In the video below, I definitely say thumbtack. *sigh*
I know, office supplies aren't the sexiest solution. But "stick" with me and I'll get right to the "point".
- Invisibility: Clear pushpins practically disappear against any wall colour.
- Cheap cheap: If Canada had pennies, they'd cost pennies. And they are easy to find too.
- As Goldilocks said, they're just right: Embroidery hoops are lightweight and a pushpin is all the support they need to hang on your wall. Honestly, I'm a bit of a secret daredevil, and I use them to hang my hoop frames too. Bold.
- Itty bitty, teeny tiny: This is what makes them truly awesome. When it comes to placement, I change my mind, I tweak, I expand and then retract my displays. Pushpins leave only small holes behind. Unless you are up close, you'd never discover the evidence of my fickleness. That means that I can work organically and fearlessly, and that I never have a stack of hoops waiting for their own space on the wall. (For now at least LOL)
It's a miracle! I made a video! No stopping, just thrilling non-stop action.
My new office gallery wall: hung exclusively with pushpins
My old sitting room display: all hung with pushpins except for the mirror
Yep. My old stairwell: all pushpins.
Give it a try! Let me know what you think. And of course, happy stitching!
- Laurie Dolhan -