How to Hang a Picture: 5 Tips for Hanging Them on the Wall
To hang a decorative painting or a poster, all you need is a nail, a hammer and a little confidence:
Enough of staring at empty walls, it's time to learn how to hang a decoration board. Maybe you enjoy scouring flea markets for portraits of strangers or even dabble in DIY art projects to save money. However, you don't know the best way to hang paintings, so they sit on the floor waiting to be displayed. Whether you want to create a gallery wall or simply hang a single piece of art for a minimalist effect, the instructions are basically the same.
Grab your hammer and nails and follow these tips on how to hang a picture like a pro.
Step 1: Decide on a strategy
While you can probably hang your picture on any wall, consider the weight, size, and shape of the object you’re hanging, as well as the material of your walls, before you pick up the hammer. Can I drill through brick? Tile? Can my placo walls support what weight, and what’s a stud? We’ll explain the most common practices for hanging pictures.
Step 2: Gather your tools
You know you need a hammer, a tape measure, and a pencil to hang pictures or paintings on the wall, but there are other tools that will come in handy. Before you get started, make sure to add these to your tool kit. For plaster or drywall, the weight of the item will determine exactly what you'll need.
To hang lightweight pictures:
- The best way to hang lightweight pictures is to invest in a pack of small nails.
For medium weight tables:
- If it weighs more than a few pounds, add a few hangers to your cart.
For heavier tables:
- A heavy picture or mirror will require a large nail, a stud finder or wall anchors, suitable screws and a screwdriver.
If you're hanging pictures on plexi or glass, you'll need good quality, low-profile adhesive hooks rather than nails and screws, and if you're hanging on brick, use brick clips.
For all tables:
Before you begin, check the back of the picture to see what type of hanging hardware you're working with. If you turn the frame over, you'll usually find hanging wire, D-rings, or a sawtooth hanger. While this shouldn't be too much of a hassle, be careful not to buy nails that are too large for your D-rings, for example.
Step 3: Make an action plan
- Well-arranged framed photos can add a new dimension to your home decor, but if you don't know how to arrange them, you might find yourself in a pickle. There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to hanging pictures, but there are some guidelines.
The centre of a framed artwork should be 140cm above the floor – average eye level and the height at which galleries and museums usually hang their works.Mark the height with a pencil, then measure to find the midpoint of the wall from one end to the other, and mark where the two points meet. This is where the middle of your artwork should be!
Now, measure the distance from the middle of the artwork to where it will hang on the nail (either where the picture wire hits when bent to support the weight, or where the sawtooth hanger is). Measure this difference from your midpoint on the wall: this is where the nail (or picture hanger, or wall anchor, or brick clamp) will go. Mark this spot.
You can also use painter's tape to outline your wall before drilling holes. Start by measuring the frame(s), then cut and hang the painter's tape to size to get an idea of what the wall will look like with your chosen layout. There are even apps you can download to visualize what your wall will look like when you're finished.
Like many things in interior design, hanging art is subjective, so if you love your arrangement regardless of the tips, kudos to you.
Step 4: Hang your painting
- Now that you've marked the exact location of your nails, picture hanger, or wall mount with a pencil, it's time to hang the item. If you're hanging a very heavy piece, first use a stud finder to locate a stud and see if it's in a logical place for your nail. If it is, hammer in a large nail and you're done. If the stud is in an odd spot, use the anchor and screw method instead: Drill a hole, place the plastic anchor in it, then drive in a screw, leaving just enough of it sticking out so you can thread the wire or sawtooth through it like you would a nail.
Step 5: Get creative with your display
If you don’t feel like hammering and nailing, just lean it against it. The simplest way to display art is also the best for those who are afraid of hammering nails into the wall: Lean the frame against the back of a chair, the wall, or a shelf. Even homes with a lot of art hanging on the walls appreciate a few pieces laid out casually—they look intentional.
If you're still reorganizing your home, consider a picture shelf.
If you're a storage enthusiast and want to formalize a spot for this activity, consider adding a shallow picture shelf to one of your rooms. It's a perfect solution for those who are constantly changing their style (or have the reorganization bug).
If you like the idea of saving holes in your precious walls but want a more formal look than a sill, consider a chair rail: This is a piece of molding that goes all the way up to the ceiling and on which you can hang your artwork using hooks and string, then change it whenever you feel like it.
Leave some parts unframed
- Maybe you’ve collected some of those flea market panel paintings—pretty chipped edges and all—and want to preserve some of that charm without paying for a fancy floating frame. Or maybe you just want to hang up some paper drawings and leave it at that? It’s totally possible, and even encouraged, to leave artwork unframed.Just follow these tips and gather the necessary supplies to hang them without making any noise.
Break some rules
- As you consider the scale and placement of your artwork, and whether to lean or frame it, take a deep breath. Our favorite hanging rules are also meant to be broken. Now go hang all your art.
