Hanging artwork with great precision can turn even the most perfect mannered miss into a swearing sailor.
Here are a few of my favorite devices found in the toolbox that I ALWAYS carry with me to design jobs. (And no, no one is paying me for this post. This is my unpaid opinion.)
If you have a piece of artwork that comes with a wire attached on the back let me introduce you to the Picture Placer.
You slide the plastic guide down to cover the frame.
On the back you lift the wire into the small indented area. You can see there is a somewhat sharp piece that juts out.
It’s hard to be serious and look professional when the photographer is singing Salt - N - Pepa’s “Push It”. But yeah, push the artwork real good up against the wall.
The tool will leave an indentation as to where you should place the nail.
Voila! Exactly where I wanted it. Guidelines on where artwork should be placed can be found here.
But what if you have evil artwork? You know the tantrum inducing kind with rings on either side that are never level.
If your picture weighs less than 10 pounds do yourself a favor and purchase a package of picture wire. It can be found at most home improvement and craft stores. I got mine at Hobby Lobby on sale for .88 cents.
Take the end of the wire and slide it under the ring.
Wrap it around a few times.
Take the “tail” and wrap it around the long wire.
The edges can be sharp so trim and smooth them with a pair of wire cutters.
Then pull the wire over to the other side and estimate how much you will need to repeat the steps and cut it.
Pull the wire as TAUGHT as you can and repeat what you did on the other side. Trust me. Pull it TIGHT! (Tighter Mamie!) It will loosen up as you wrap.
When you finish it should look like this. It is now so much easier to hang! You could even use the picture placer tool.
But what if your artwork weighs over 10 pounds or features truly vicious hardware that cannot be altered?
Here’s an ugly closeup of a horrific invention.
Meet my friend, Mark and Mount. You slide the black rectangles to match where the hardware is installed.
Then take the Mark and Mount and place it on the wall. There is a built in level.
(I apologize for the quality of photos. Most of the really heavy artwork was hung after Mr. Décor got home from work.)
The center of each rectangle has a small hole where you make your mark. If your frame is light weight or you are lucky enough to be nailing into a stud you can simply just hammer in a nail and hang your art on the wall.
If you cannot nail into a stud you will want to put some molly’s (also known as drywall anchors) and screws in the wall to hang heavy artwork. The anchors are shown in the photo below. Here you can see how to install them. (Because why try to reinvent the wheel?)
Some people prefer to use a toggle bolt (shown below). This hardware should be used for artwork that will NEVER be changed. Trying to remove a toggle from a wall will generally result in a large section of drywall needing repair. I avoid them at all costs.
TIP! ~ Mr. Décor is a well mannered handyman. He takes a damp cloth and holds it underneath the drill to catch all the drywall dust. Sweet!
So there you go. All my tips, tricks and tools I use to hang pictures perfectly!
Laura
Linking to:
Between Naps On The Porch, Today’s Creative Blog, SSS, StoneGable, Tip Junkie, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Positively Splendid, The 36th Avenue, SNS
Labels: Art, Creative decor, interior design
