Home DIY Project: How to Hang Pictures

If you’ve ever wondered what the easiest way is to hang pictures, this home DIY is for you.  This chore is no problem if you follow our step by step instructions for how to hang pictures, which usually can be done with some basic tools available at your local home improvement store. While it is easy to do, it is also not as simple as driving a few nails into the wall.  So keep reading, and you’ll be hanging pictures like a pro in no time!

Tools You Need to Hang Pictures

• Pencil
• Eye screws (also called screw eyes) for larger frames or triangle plated hangers for smaller frames
• Picture wire
• Hammer
• Level
• Ruler

Get Ready to Hang the Picture

Evaluate the room where you want to hang your new picture. Keep in mind the design and the layout of the furniture in the room. Notice the already existing pictures; you may need to move more than one picture to incorporate the new one into your decor.

How To Prepare a Picture Frame

Some picture frames come with a picture hanger already attached to the back.  This may look like a little silver metal piece with one jagged side (these are called saw tooth hangers), or may look like a metal wire attached on two ends with slack between them.
If your picture frame already has a hanger on the back, you can skip to the next section, How to Hang Pictures on the Wall.  For picture frames that do not come with a hanger already attached, you’ll need to prepare the frame yourself.
For a small picture frame, you’ll want to use small triangle plated picture hangers.
How to attach screw eyes to a picture frame:  For hanging larger frames, you’ll want to use screw eyes for stringing the picture wire.  Place the screw eyes about 1/3 of the way from the top down the picture frame on both the right and left sides. Next, drill each screw eye into the frame by hand by turning it constantly and pressing firmly until the eye screw is secured in the frame.
How to attach picture wire: No matter whether you chose eye screws or triangle plated hangers, you’ll want to string them with picture wire next.  Picture wire comes in various gauges and the size you choose depends on the size and weight of the frame to be hung.  Cut the wire about 1 – 1 1/2 times the width of the frame.
Watch the video below to see how to attach picture wire to a frame:

How To Hang Pictures on the Wall

Now it’s time to choose exactly where to hang the picture on the wall. Once you have decided on the perfect spot, mark the wall lightly with a pencil of where you want the top of the picture frame to rest. With a level, make marks on the wall to ensure that the picture is straight.
Using a ruler, measure the distance from the top of the picture frame to the hanger.  Knowing that distance, you can measure the appropriate distance down from your pencil mark on the wall.  This measurement will tell you where to place the nail.  Hang the picture up on the nail, and make sure it is where you want it to be.  If the placement isn’t correct, take it down, re-measure, and try again.  After you’re satisfied with the picture frame’s location, use a level across the top of the frame to make sure your picture is straight.
Hanging pictures like a pro is a snap if you have the right tools and know the steps to follow.