How to Arrange Pictures (Or, How My OCD-ness Won Out)

So, confession: I have very little patience when it comes to hanging pictures. SO little. 

This usually results in triple the number of nail holes actually needed to hang pictures as I guesstimate, approximate, and generally bulldoze my way through the process of measuring and leveling. (WHY? Why is it so hard to make two nails level?! Must my pictures always be ever so slightly askew? Must my OCD-ness be constantly offended?)

After hanging far too many a picture using this precarious procedure, I have been reformed. 

Observe the genius of HGTV.

 Hey. Lookie there. If you trace the outline of your pictures onto paper, then cut them out, you can tape 'em to the wall and never have to guess where to put nails. You can even - gasp - rearrange them until you find your ideal placement. HOW HAVE I NOT KNOWN ABOUT THIS UNTIL NOW? HGTV, you are awesome.

Ahem.

Below, you'll see my pride and joy. I bought most of these pictures from thrift stores. Some of the frames had to be replaced, so I bought some cheap frames at Walmart (four bucks each!), spray painted them all gold and finally - at long, long last - all of 'em have a home.

It was a really interesting process, actually, trying to figure out how the heck to rearrange these. I'm not sure if it was because a few of these pictures were similar sizes, but I seriously spent forty-five minutes playing with the above paper cut-outs trying to figure out how they were supposed to go together.

I really wanted to do a more sporadic arrangement that wasn't so . . . symmetrical. I wanted something randomized and free-form, but to my eye, the pictures didn't look right until they were all evenly spaced apart.

I've come to terms with it. I like things symmetrical and balanced and even. My OCD-ness won out, despite my best efforts. It didn't turn out how I wanted it in my head, but I'm totally fine with that.

I didn't want the pictures to look too matchy-matchy, so I used picture frames with different widths. 

Purty. So purty.