I love a well done gallery wall and I love unabashed nerdery. However, I do realize that my love of animals, insects, and other natural oddities can be a bit over the top for the general public. So, I turned a corner of my craft room into my own personal science gallery wall. The best part is that it was inexpensive home decor project, as I have been collecting my items over the years. The key to creating my science gallery wall is that I always keep an eye out at second-hand stores for books and frames that have potential to be repurposed as thrifty home decor.
The microscope on the shelf came from the old codger (aka my Dad) when he was working on a house and the homeowners were throwing it out. So, if you do like nerdy things, you can’t be too in the closet about it, as you won’t have others keeping an eye out for spectacular finds for you. The insect collection I got when I worked at a museum and they were clearing out old collections and I got a whole box all about bugs! You could make your own insect collection, if you aren’t too squeamish about killing insects. Personally, unless it is a mosquito (or a termite) I try to avoid intentional insecticide. So, enough chatting, read on below to get tips on creating your own nerd gallery.
Top ten Nerd Gallery tips:
- Keep an eye out for old books! They have the best pictures, especially old scout handbooks.
- Scour your local second hand stores for nice frames. Don’t worry about the color as you can spray paint them.
- Do you know anyone that works at a museum? A school? A library? Let them know what you are looking for as you never know when closets will get cleaned out.
- Hit up your local flea markets. Keep an eye out for unusual things like wood carvings, feathers, old weather instruments (just be wary of thermometers with mercury in them!)
- Yard Sales and estate sales have so many possibilities!
- Do you have older relatives that might need help cleaning out a basement or an attic? I remember when I was younger that everyone seemed to decorate with owls. I thought it was odd, but now I’d love to get my hands on that owl lamp my old neighbor had.
- Take a hike! No kidding. I have found some really cool fossils and rocks in my wanderings (just double check the park’s regulations before you take anything).
- Make nerdy friends! I had a friend that had his Ph.D. in lightning physics and he gave me a fulgurite-which is sand that has fused because it was struck by lightning. It is awesome. I had another biologist friend that gave me a horseshoe crab exoskeleton. Also, really cool!
- For free printable plant images check out the USDA’s special collections.
- If you are looking for animal diagrams or cool line drawings check out the Biodiversity Heritage Library. You will need to be a little patient with your searching, but they have some really cool stuff!
So, that is it. I hope that this might inspire you to embrace your inner nerd and proudly display your nerdery in all of its finery.
