How to hang pictures without using nails

Put away your hammer and nails – there’s a quicker and easier way to hang heavy pictures. And it won’t put holes in your walls.

Whether you’re a renter, a homeowner or living in student accommodation, VELCRO® Brand HANGables® Picture Hanging Strips are the easiest way to hang pictures of all shapes, sizes, and weights without marking or damaging your walls.

They bond strongly and securely with a variety of surfaces including painted drywall, tile, wood, metal and plastic, making them ideal for use all around the home. Read on to find out how to hang a heavy picture without one single nail.

HOW TO HANG A HEAVY PICTURE – STEP BY STEP

Start by taking a pack of VELCRO® Brand HANGables® Picture Hanging Strips (Large). Designed for hanging heavy pictures and mirrors, these large picture hanging strips can hold up to 16lbs per pack.

Attach one half of each set to your picture frame, and the other half to the wall and press down firmly.

Rub the pads for 30 seconds and then wait one hour to allow the adhesive to bond with the wall and the picture frame.

This is an extremely important step – giving the adhesive plenty of time to set will ensure your heavy picture stays securely stuck to the wall.

Last but not least, hang your frame on the wall! Make sure to press it firmly against the wall to ensure the picture hanging strips are securely stuck together.

How easy was that?! Such an easy way to hang heavy pictures without one single nail or hole in the wall!

And when you’re ready to take your picture down, VELCRO® Brand HANGables® Picture Hanging Strips peel cleanly off the wall without leaving any marks!

After all, hanging your newly acquired masterpiece isn’t always an option for some homeowners—whether you’re renting or just really, really bad at home improvement. You’ll find yourself with a hammer in hand, looking at your pristine walls, and wondering “Is there any way I can hang artwork WITHOUT using nails?”

Fortunately, there are options available. If you’re worried about your walls, here are five easy ways you can hang artwork in your home without using nails.

How to Hang Artwork Without Using Nails

1. Use adhesive hooks and strips

There are a wide variety of adhesive hooks and strips available that have the capacity to hold the weight of a framed picture. Well, some framed pictures. If you’re hanging a 10-foot by 10-foot Renaissance masterpiece, you might not want to use the same sticky hooks you use for holiday stockings.

But, if you want to hang a light-weight painting, you should be able to find an adhesive solution to meet your needs.

Just be sure that you check the weight rating for any adhesive product you use, and don’t be afraid to use multiple hooks or strips. However, until you’re a little more confident with your framing adhesives, maybe don’t hang your first test directly over your bed or collection of rare porcelain figures.

2. Hang artwork from your molding

Image courtesy of Pinterest

If you live in an older house or apartment, you might be lucky enough to have that great picture rail molding along the tops of your walls. If you do, don’t be afraid to use it.

You just have to purchase special, inexpensive hooks that fit over the rail and then adjust lengths of framing wire to get the picture hanging exactly where you want it.

Is it simple? No, but it will keep your walls pristine, it’s a great way to hang artwork without using nails, and, when done correctly, looks fantastic.

3. Make good use of your mantel

Artwork by Tim Yanke.

Fireplace mantels are often cluttered with family photos and knick-knacks but they can also become an amazing showcase for dramatic works of art.

The theory is simple—just place your framed artwork on the mantel, lean it back, and enjoy. That said, if you regularly use your fireplace,  you will definitely want to make sure the temperature above the mantel won’t damage the artwork.

According to Luis Navarro, the Plant Manager for Park West Florida, monitoring a room’s temperature and humidity are essential when it comes to protecting a work of art. Keep the temperature within normal ranges and try to keep the humidity around 55 percent.

4. Bookshelves aren’t just for books

Image courtesy of Pinterest

This option works best for smaller framed works. If you’re trying to protect your walls, you can kick your books off your bookshelves and use that shelving unit as a dramatic, multi-level showcase for your smaller works of art.

Many stores offer bookshelves that come with a variety of adjustable shelf options, which will give you many different display configurations to choose from.

5. Don’t be afraid to pull out an easel

An onboard art auction being conducted.

If you collected artwork at a Park West Gallery art auction, your first introduction to that work may have been viewing it on an easel next to the auctioneer.

This may sound crazy, but why not replicate that experience at home?

It may not be practical to have easels cluttering up your living room, but, if there is one special artwork you just love and want it to be a centerpiece in your house, placing it on an easel might be an unusual, but effective way to display it.

If you want to know more about the exciting world of art collecting, you can join Park West Gallery’s community of enthusiastic art collectors by contacting a gallery consultant or registering for our weekly live online auctions.

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