Photo String: How to Display Your Photos with String and Clothespins

Photo strings are such a cute and easy way to brighten up a plain wall! We put up a photo string wall for our daughter’s recent sip & see party and liked it so much we decided to keep it around as part of our everyday home decor. It’s a great way to display and change up photos!

Making an Easy (and Affordable) Photo String Wall

We love our photo string wall because it highlights some of our favourite memories. It also creates a nice focal point for guests to get to know our family. I personally love photos walls at parties because it gives me something to talk about with strangers (it’s a nice classy ice-breaker of sorts).

Now that our party season is over, we still have the photo string up. We love switching out the photos so there’s always something new to look at. Hopefully we’ll also hang artwork and other fun stuff from it.

My aunts helped put together the photo string (I know, I’m so lucky!).  My aunt even hand-drew the title letters (hint: the bunting is made from recycled paper grocery bags). Your photo string doesn’t necessarily need a title like this one, but it’s a lovely touch if you want to highlight the theme of your photos. A title really helps to bring it all together.

Supplies for a Photo String Display

Here’s what you’ll need for your own photo string:

• 2 Stick-On Adhesive Hooks (we used small command hooks)
• Jute Twine
• Plain Clothespins
• Printed Photos
• Brown Paper Bags
• Scissors
• Black Marker

Steps – How to Make a Photo String

1. Place a stick-on hook on either end of the wall (follow the instructions for the hooks you buy). We stuck the hooks onto our in-wall speakers. If you’re sticking the hooks directly onto the wall, make sure the hooks you buy are designed to be removable without peeling off paint. If you’d rather just use nails and patch the holes later…that’s cool too! You could also use a small tack in the side or top of a moulding (somewhere that isn’t very visible). 
2. String and tie the twine between the hooks. We strung 3 strands – one straight strand for the title and two lower strands for the photos. Keep in mind that the weight of the clothespins and photos will pull down the strings.
3. Use the clothespins to attach the printed photos. It’s most secure if the twine is arranged over top of the photo. Then you can clamp the clothespin overtop of both the twine and photo at the same time (rather than trying to run the twine through that open part of the clothespin:
   
4. Cut out bunting from the brown paper bags. Each bunting flag will hang over the string, so the bunting should have both a front and a back flap. Use the pre-existing bottom seam in the bag as the top of the bunting. Then the flat front of the bag can be used as the bunting front while the bottom/back of the bag will be the back of the bunting.
5. Use the black marker to draw a title on the bunting flags.
6. Hang the bunting title flags on the top string.

Making Your Own Photo String Display

And that’s it! This photo string is a very quick project that you can put together in just a few minutes once you’ve got the supplies. This project is also very affordable, especially if you’ve already got some twine and clothespins around.

There are also photo string kits available online if you want an even quicker option.  Some have LED twinkle lights on the string and others have adorable mini clothespins. Here’s a few options if you’d rather make this project from a kit:

Now you just need to print your favourite photos! What photos are you looking forward to putting on your photo string?