The 4 Simple Tips That Will Help You Hang Pictures Perfectly

Hanging pictures or artwork on the walls of your home is one of the simplest ways to make a big visual impact, and it’s also a great opportunity to showcase your personal style and story. Think of your wall decorations as clothes for your home; your clothes are an expression of yourself, and your wall decor can be too!

But I don’t think I’m alone in my dislike of doing the actual hanging. Framed photos and art have been known to lean against walls in my home for weeks at a time because no one wants to volunteer to hang them!

So the last time this happened, I decided that there must be a way to simplify this task and make it less of a chore! So I did some research, and today I’ll be sharing what I’ve found—the best tips and tricks for hassle-free hanging that the web has to offer! :-)

4 Easy Tips For Hanging Pictures Perfectly

1. Choose The Right Spot

The first thing you need to do before you get around to hanging a photo or piece of art is decide where you’re going to put it!

One tip I’ve found to be particularly useful is to take the time to visualize your layout before doing anything permanent. An easy way to do this is by making paper templates that match the dimensions of each frame you’re planning to hang.

Trace each of your frames onto newspaper or kraft paper, cut them out, then use masking tape to stick the templates up on your wall. Seeing the size of your frames on the actual wall will help you identify what works for your space and what doesn’t.

(If you’re only hanging one item, you can just hold your frame up to the wall, and once you’ve found the right place, mark the location of the edges of the frame with masking tape or a sticky note.)

2. Decide How To Hang It

Once you’ve decided where your frame or frames are going to go, you’ll need to decide what type of hanger you want to use to attach them to the wall.

I’m a big fan of Command picture hanging strips for hanging relatively lightweight frames. You can even use them to hang some of the larger frames from IKEA (like 28″ x 40″ frames) with no trouble at all!

Of course, if you don’t mind putting holes in your walls, standard nails and screws work just as well for hanging all sorts of frames! (Just be sure to utilize drywall anchors when you’re hanging large or heavy frames on stretches of wall with no studs.)

3. Get Your Placement Right The First Time

Now that you’ve determined where and how you’re going to hang your frame, it’s time to get it done! And if you’re going the nail or screw route, it’s always nice to get it right the first time so you don’t end up making multiple holes in your wall.

One way to do this is to make a simple picture-hanging stick. Hammer a small nail into a paint stirrer about 1″ in from one end. Stop when the nail is about 1/3 of the way through the wood.

Hang the frame from the nail, then hold the stick against the wall where you want to hang it. Press firmly on the nail-end of the stick, and it will leave behind a small hole exactly where your nail or screw should go!

If you don’t have a paint stirrer on hand, another option is to use a tape measure to measure the distance from the top of your frame to the hanging point, like a wire or sawtooth hanger. (If your frame has a wire, use the metal edge of your tape measure to pull the wire taut towards the top of the frame to get the right measurement.)

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Once you have your measurement, use a pencil to mark it on the correct location on either your paper template or directly on the wall.

My friend Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime shared a similar trick on her blog that’s especially helpful hanging a frame with two hanging points. Cut a piece of masking tape that covers the distance between the two hanging points on the back of the frame, then stick the piece of tape to the wall where she’ll be hanging it.

The edges of the tape will show you exactly where to put your nails or screws. (For more details about Jamielyn’s method, learn more here.)

4. Make Sure Your Frame Is Level

Once you’ve got your frame on the wall, all that’s left to do grab your trusty level to make sure it’s hanging straight. And if you have an iPhone, you always have a level on hand!

Open the Compass app, then swipe left to access the level. Hold it up along the top of your frame, adjust accordingly and you’re done! Your wall art or picture frame should look picture perfect. :-)

Do you have a favorite picture hanging tip?