Giving Thanks

More ideas for hanging pictures

Hanging multiple framed pictures so that they look orderly can be a challenge. The secret is to divide and conquer: Mark a horizontal mid line on the wall, and hang all pictures above or below it.

The line can be made with a strip of painters' tape and then removed once the pictures are in place. To unify the group, choose a single color for all frames and, if displaying photographs, stick with either all black-and-white or all color shots.

Picture Hanging How-To

Unfurl a length of painters' tape (ours was 1 1/2 inches wide) horizontally across a wall, making sure tape is level.

Determine nail placement for frames above the mid line by measuring from the bottom of a frame to its bracket. (If the frame hangs on wire, pull the wire taut, and measure accordingly.)

For frames below the mid line, measure from the top of the frame to the bracket. Use additional strips of tape, positioned vertically, to create even spaces between pictures arranged next to each other.

When all frames are in place, remove tape from wall.

Two Parallel Lines

Similar to the hallway arrangement above, this approach creates a unified look by arranging artwork in straight lines. Arrange the frames so that the tops of the frames that make up the bottom row are at the same height, and the bottom of the frames that make up the top row are also at the same height, about two inches above the bottom row.

Here's a way to plan a display of framed pictures without making a single needless nail hole. First, trace around frames on craft paper to make a template for each piece of art; cut out. Pull hanging wire on frame taut; measure distance from top of wire's arc to top of frame. Make a corresponding mark on template. Lay picture hook on template so bottom of hook is on mark; make another mark where nail hole will go. Use drafting tape to hang templates. When you're satisfied with placement, hammer nails through picture hooks and into wall over the marks on the craft paper. Rip off the paper, leaving nails and hooks in place, and hang your frames.

Hanging pictures the easy way

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  Group the pictures on the wall. Juggling pictures to get the right one in the right place can be difficult; instead work with pieces of paper. Trace the outline of each frame on paper that contrasts with the wall. Cut out the shapes, place masking tape loops on the backs, and experiment with grouping the pictures. (See photo above.) For the security of anchoring heavy works and mirrors into wall studs, first locate the studs with a stud finder. To support especially large objects, drive hangers into adjacent studs.
  
  To see how a picture grouping will look on the wall, first lay it out on the floor. You're getting a bird's eye view, and you'll find it easier and quicker to move things around as you work out a preliminary arrangement.

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  Nail a hanger to the wall. To determine the exact position for the hanger, poke a pencil point through the paper cutout at the spot where the picture wire will be when fully stretched by the picture weight. When you find the best location for the picture, tap a nail through the hole just enough to mark the wall.