• home
  • FREE resources
  • about
  • LITTLE shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
notice the LITTLE things

notice the LITTLE things

  • LITTLE blog
  • Start here
    • introduction
    • background
    • about me
    • LITTLE disclosure
  • practice daily gratitude
  • simplify home life
  • love your space

April 26, 2019 · Leave a Comment

how to hang a picture straight every time

love the space you're in

how to hang a picture straight

hanging a picture straight seems like a pretty basic concept, right? are you already good at this? because i am terrible. or at least, i used to be.

maybe it’s because i am a recovering perfectionist who is still more perfectionist than recovered. sigh. maybe it’s because my husband and i have VERY different ideas about what hanging a picture straight looks like. his version looks like put as many holes in the wall as it takes to get it straight. mine looks like i better get it right the first time because i DO NOT want to have to get out the spackle and paint.

for these reasons, it took over a year for me to hang a picture in our house with an actual nail. yikes.

diy project planner printable

since that time, in addition to becoming better at hanging pictures with the method discussed below, i created this fun DIY project planner. i LOVE DIY, but as a busy mom, i don’t have time to go to multiple stores, multiple times, and i do not have time to wait another year to make a project happen. that was crazy, but without a plan, it’s easy to do. to save time and keep myself organized, i created this super helpful printable and now before new projects, i fill it out. easy peasy. you can snag a copy for yourself in the LITTLE printable library. if you’re like me, you know when you’re organized in small ways like this, it creates big room to notice the things you love the most about DIY and your space!

so, back to hanging pictures. when it comes to hanging ONE picture straight, i am not SO terrible. that is pretty basic. most walls in our house, however, require more than one picture to fill the space. this is probably true for you too. those pictures need to be even with each other, and that can be tricky, but i’ve figured out a method that works every time!

how to hang a gallery wall

for this first gallery wall project, i avoided the use of nails entirely and used all command strips.

how to hang a picture straight

any time i hang more than one picture, i use painters tape to create a grid for myself. that way i can make sure i am staying even as i go. you can read more about how to hang a gallery wall like this here.

how to hang pictures with command strips

command strips are God’s gift to perfectionists. they are amazing and allow you to essentially “stick” your picture to the wall. if it’s not straight? just unstick and readjust. so easy. this particular type of command strip is sold in different weight increments, depending on the weight of the item you want to hang. my favorite is the variety pack you can find here on amazon.

how to hang a picture straight

after the successful hanging of our that first gallery wall, you can imagine my disappointment when i tried to hang the pictures for this wall, only to realize command strips would not work on these frames. i tried but shattered two frames in the process. eek!

how to hang a picture straight

by design, each of these frames hangs by a wire. you can see i got all set up with my painters tape grid. sadly, after the command strips didn’t work, the thought of trying to get nine wire-hanging frames straight was enough to make me put off the project for another year .

how to hang a picture straight

then i stumbled across this crazy, amazing, magical picture hanging tool. it is called the hang & level by under the roof decorating.

how to hang a picture straight

this product is truly a miracle worker, and it’s only $14.99! i remember being at the hardware store, debating whether to buy it. thank goodness i decided to go for it! it has taken away all of my anxiety about putting holes in the wall because now i always get it right on the first try.

how to hang a picture straight

the hang & level has a built-in level, a way to help hang wired pictures, and a way to help hang pictures with sawtooth hangers. those are the ones that have hangers that look like little alligator teeth. {i had to look up this technical term, by the way}. it has a LITTLE plastic button you press that puts a mark on the wall when you have your picture in the right spot. then you take your picture down, place your nail or screw where you marked, and hang the picture up. it is that simple!

i’ve written about the hang & level in previous gallery wall posts. this week, i reached out to the company, to see if they could provide readers {YOU!} with a special discount and they said YES. happy dance! to grab your discount code for FREE shipping on this product {along with many other helpful freebies to help you focus on what you truly love about DIY}, click here. you can buy this picture hanger in some stores for the same price as utr’s site, but there is currently a copycat product that is fooling customers. best to grab the product right from the creator and support a small business! they responded immediately to my email so i am SURE their customer service is great.

how to hang a picture straight

with the use of a couple yard sticks, painters tape, and the hang & level tool, i was able to hang all nine frames in one afternoon, by myself! after waiting over a year, this was quite an accomplishment. if i can do it…so can you!

how to hang a gallery wall

i also used the hang & level to get all the pictures straight in this gallery wall project in my husband’s office. he wanted pictures of ALL kinds – wires, sawtooth, guitars even! it was so great to have ONE PRODUCT to help me with so many different picture types {not the guitars, though! their hangers came with easy mounting instructions}.

how to hang a picture straight

as it turns out, hanging a picture straight is not as intimidating as i initially thought. you just need the right tools! command strips are perfect for lighter frames and even canvases. the hang & level tool works for anything that requires a nail or screw in the wall (discount code here). luckily for picture hanging, these tools are both very affordable. a small price to pay for keeping your wall paint in tact!

for me, they each eliminate the fear of extra holes in the wall and are easy to use all by myself. if you’re like me, and you have picture hanging anxiety, i hope you can find some peace with these two helpful products!

DIY furniture painting

and don’t forget to grab this helpful DIY planning resource here in the LITTLE printable library.

{want to save this idea for later? click the red save box on the image below to pin this post. or follow notice the LITTLE things on pinterest here.}

how to hang a picture straight

  • 1

LITTLE shop: reader favorites

kid's gratitude journals

make gratitude fun for the whole family!

time out for moms

a daily dose of gratitude for your busy mom day!

reclaim your joy

a busy mom's guide to increased gratitude in life's LITTLE things!

OTHER POPULAR POSTS

easy organizing ideas

the secret to staying organized

a simple and effective kid's job chart

how to paint furniture

how to paint bedroom furniture

clean kids room

my favorite room cleaning trick

Previous Post: « notice the LITTLE things april 25th
Next Post: notice the LITTLE things april 29th »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

hi there!

i'm erin, and i'm so glad you're here!

i am a wife, mom, sister, and friend. i am a lover of lower case letters, chai tea, warm weather, and get-togethers. i can't wait to know you better. so pull up a chair, grab something to sip, and join me in noticing the LITTLE things.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

looking for something?

LITTLE resource library

Copyright © 2021 · ·Beloved Theme by Restored 316

this LITTLE blog uses cookies to personalize your experience and the ads you may see as a result of the pages you visit. you can read more about this in the LITTLE disclosure. by clicking accept, you are agreeing to those terms. LITTLE disclosure accept decline
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.