Picture Perfect Hanging Made Easy

Whether you're installing a mirror, shelf, picture, gallery hanging, coat rack or hooks, your projects can be easy with the right tools and tips.  Dust off those framed family photos and display them; hang up a shelf and bring sense to your collectibles; affix the mirror to the wall, and hang the new window treatments.  Adoring the walls with all of your favorites will pull your living space together.

Where on the wall do you have your pictures?

Most people make the mistake of hanging their artwork or photographs too high on the wall. Hang your pictures at eye level. What exactly is eye level? According to the standard that is used in art galleries, the center of the picture should be between 60" -65" from the floor.  You can even break this rule and go several inches lower in a room where people are generally seated, such as a dining room.

The size of the artwork should relate to its surroundings.

A small picture on a large empty wall will get lost, while a large picture will overwhelm a small wall. Pictures should be smaller than the furniture over which they hang. For example, a large painting hanging over a tiny table will look unbalanced and top heavy.

Hanging some artwork over your couch?

Similar to hanging artwork over a table or sideboard, you want the artwork to be smaller than the couch. If your couch is 72" in length, your artwork should be no longer that 62" in length.

You do not want to have a painting floating halfway between the top of the sofa and the ceiling. Your picture should hang between 4"-8" above the back of the sofa. This same rule of thumb applies to tables as well.

So, now you know where to hang your pictures. But how do you hang them?

Back in college I would hang everything using a nail and the heel of my shoe. This is not a good idea. Use picture hooks, not nails. Should I say that again? Do not use nails.

Picture hooks are designed specifically to redistribute the weight of your picture. The weight of the picture is pushed into the wall. 

When you use nails, the weight pulls down, often pulling the nail right out of the wall and damaging the Drywall/Sheetrock, not to mention sending your artwork crashing to the ground.

Tomboy Tools and most hardware stores sell picture-hanging kits. They include everything that you'll need. Just grab your hammer and get started.

Project Steps:

1. Visually identify the area of where you want to hang your fixture, the condition of the surface, and the weight of what you are hanging on your wall.  If it is light, you may only need a nail and hook. For heavier hangings, anchors will most likely need to be used.
2. Use your stud finder to locate where the studs are; these are areas that you do not want to screw into with anchors (it is good to nail or screw into studs when anchors are not being used).
3. Use your Picture Perfect Level to measure the appropriate hook or fastener on object being hung.
4. Move the adjustable pointer block to the necessary distance for the item you are hanging and tighten the thumbscrew.
5. Center the level block between the two pointer blocks and tighten.
6. Position the Picture Perfect Level in the desired location on the wall.  Make sure the bubble in the level block is in the middle of the two black lines.
7. Using firm pressure, press the pointer blocks into the wall with your thumbs. This will leave small dimple marks in the wall surface, showing you precisely where to drill and insert your wall anchor or nail.
8. By using the pivoting method with the pointer blocks, you can work your way across the wall with precise spacing between wall hangings.
9. Pre-drill your holes where the dimple marks are using your drill and drill bits then screw in your anchors and screws using your drill; hammer in your picture hooks for lighter hangings.

Resource: Tomboy Tools and Homesessive