Trouble with searchform.php

I’m having trouble to get the searchform of WordPress to be positioned on an image location.
When I try different solutions, the search itself is working but is braking the layout of the page.
Webpage: Next to the 1st image ‘Abcoude’, needs to be a search button.
Same format and the input text ‘Search..’. When the visitors click on ‘Search…’
they can enter text to search and press ‘Return’, to get the search results (no submit button).

1. Searchform.php is adjusted without ‘submit button’.
2. CSS is adjusted so the background image, border and size is the same as the other images.

Problems:

1. If I try to put the searchform.php link into the image, it breaks.
The button itself is correct, without the searchform attached.
2. If I try to use value=”<?php the_search_query(); ?>” in the webpage the button doesn’t break the page layout, but “<?php the_search_query(); ?>” becomes the search text and if you click the button it will do the query???

It is giving me headaches for the last past week and takes too much time. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong but maybe someone can push me in the right direction?