I’m sure you’ve seen those picture “galleries” with a ton of differently sized framed pictures hanging together to make one large wall piece. Have you ever tried to make one of those gallery walls in your own home? Absolute nightmare. You have to measure every picture and how thick the frame is and get the nail in the wall just so or it looks off and then you end up with 20 holes in your wall because you just couldn’t find the exact right spot. If you live in an old home with actual plaster walls, good luck, you're going to need it. And, God help you if you have picture wire on the back; once that gets hung up, it's still going to be in the wrong place because of the natural sag from the weight of the frame pulling it down ever so slightly. You're going to need the author of Google's algorithm to do that calculation. If you'd like to avoid the inevitable whack-a-mole routine that results from this method, I have a hack that will make it feel like you are picture hanging rock star. And it is so simple you'll wonder where this product has been all your life. Drumroll, please...
The simple savior of your walls and your sanity is the unassuming Command picture hanging strip. If you’ve never used these before, they are little Velcro type strips that have adhesive on one side and hooks on the other so when you squash them together they stay stuck like Velcro until you want to pull them apart again. The real beauty of these babies is they make it possible for you to just place your picture exactly where you want it to be on the wall and press. You can lay out your gallery composition ahead of time or you can arrange them freestyle as you go, but either way, the process is the same. You stick them to your picture frame and you stick your picture frame to the wall; no measuring, no holes, just stick and you’re done. And, just to add to the wanton abandon you will feel while effortlessly pressing your pictures into place is the fact that they are easy to reposition. Didn't get it up there exactly level? Just give it a tug, tilt it a hair and press the hook and loop back together. They are wide enough that there is space to adjust without having to take them off and start over.
When it’s hanging time, take two of the strips and press them together lightly so the hooks catch each other but not so firmly that they’re stuck for life. Now, remove the backing on one side and press the two stuck-together pieces onto the back of the frame securely where it will come in contact with the wall. With the two pieces still stuck together, remove the paper from the second piece and press the whole picture firmly against the wall. Give it a little tug to make sure it is stuck well. If you are satisfied that it isn't going anywhere, keep moving. If it is tilted or doesn't feel like it made great contact, pull the picture off the wall making sure that the Command strips on the frame stays stuck to the frame and the strip on the wall stays stuck to the wall. Press the side that has remained on the wall against the wall until it makes solid contact and you are happy that it is adhered. Then, simply press the picture back into place where the Velcro action will hold them together. Repeat as necessary until your picture gallery is complete.
But wait! There's more! In addition to their ease of use, these little overachievers have one last trick up their sleeves. Because they are Command strips, if you ever have the need to take the pictures down, they can cleanly snap right off the wall when you're done with them and leave no trace of having ever been there. Miraculous! So, after you get your gallery wall hung and looking pristine, relax with your favorite beverage, marvel at your ingenuity and skill, and congratulate your current self for saving future you a bunch of patching and painting.
And before you ask, no (sadly,) 3M is not paying me to endorse their product; they’re just stone cold geniuses and I am grateful for their brilliance.
Happy Hanging!
