How to hang pictures without drilling the wall

Hanging pictures is a way to decorate and express personality through your home space. However, there are many places where you want to hang pictures but can’t use nails, maybe because you don’t want to leave a big hole in the wall, can’t drill or nail through the wall, have to change pictures or layout often. That’s why you need to know how to hang pictures without nails, you can use staples, adhesive products, and many other clever methods. There are many methods to choose from and you can choose the best one for you, depending on what you have and the actual situation.

Table of Contents

Use picture stickers

Remove the parts used to hang pictures. Painting stickers need a flat surface to stick to, so you have to remove the hanging protrusions that are already installed on the back of the picture. ^{[1] X Research Source} It could be a nail, screw, string, keyhole or toothpick, anything that detracts from the flatness of the back of the picture.

Stickers (as well as nails and hooks) can be purchased at stationery stores, arts and crafts stores, homeware stores, or online.

Surface cleaning. Painting stickers need a flat surface to stick firmly, so you must use a clean cloth soaked in alcohol to wipe the picture and the intended wall position. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Allow the surface to dry before applying the patch.

Paste the sticker. With each set of stickers, you press their two sides together. Working with each set, you remove the protective paper and press the adhesive side to the back of the picture. Hold the pressure for 30 seconds. Repeat until the required number of sets of stickers have been applied.

One set of stickers can hold 1.36kg, and hold most 20x28cm paintings. If you’re only using one set of stickers, stick it right in the middle of the top edge of the picture.
Two sets of stickers can hold 2.7 kg, and hold most paintings measuring 28×44 cm. Two sets of stickers will be glued on the upper two corners of the picture.
Four sets of stickers can hold 5.4 kg, and hold most paintings measuring 46×61 cm. Glue 2 sets of stickers at the top 2 corners of the picture, the other two sets on the sides, at a distance of 2/3 from the top. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Fix the picture to the wall. First you remove the protective paper to reveal the adhesive layer, then press the picture to the wall. Slowly separate the stickers on the picture from the stickers on the wall, by gently pulling the picture at the bottom two corners and lifting it up. Press the wall stickers with your fingers for 30 seconds. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Wait an hour. It’s time for the glue on the tape to dry and stick. After an hour, you glue the picture back to match the positions of the stickers.

Use nails or glue hooks

Wall cleaning. Just like stickers, nails and hooks need a clean surface, so wipe the wall with a clean alcohol-soaked cloth, then let it dry.

The back of the nail and hook has adhesive to stick to the wall, and you can hang the picture there thanks to the pre-installed hanger on the picture. Depending on the available hanging parts on the picture, you must purchase the appropriate wall mount device.

Prepare the bonding surface. Remove the protective paper from the sticker and attach it to the hook or nail.

Some hooks already have stickers fixed on the back. Skip this step and go to the next step if you bought a hook with a pre-glued sticker.

Fix hooks or nails to the wall. First, remove the protective paper from the sticker behind the hook or nail. At the location where you want to hang the picture, press the hook or nail firmly to the wall for 30 seconds. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Wait about an hour for the glue to dry. After an hour, you hang the picture as usual using the hooks available on the picture.

Remember to determine the weight of the picture before you buy the stickers, as they usually only hold 2.3 – 3.6kg, while smaller hooks can only hold 0.5 – 0. 9kg.
If you want to hang pictures that are heavier than the capacity of nails or hooks, you need to use several. Ensure even weight distribution by using a leveling ruler during installation.

Use a push-in hook

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Select hook type. Push-in hooks come in a variety of brands, and they are designed to push into a wall without the use of hammers, nails or any other tools. Popular brands are Hercules Hooks, Super Hooks, Monkey Hooks and Gorilla Hooks. ^{[6] X Research Source} They are manufactured from different materials and graded according to their load capacity, but will make a small hole in the wall. According to the manufacturer:

The Hercules Hook can withstand a weight of 68kg.
The Super Hook can withstand a weight of 36.28 kg.
Monkey Hook can withstand a weight of 15.87 kg.
The Gorilla Hook can withstand a weight of 22.67 kg.

Attach the hook to the wall. Push the long, slightly curved and beveled end against the wall. After pushing the pointed end all the way in, position it so that the outside hook is facing up (so you can hang things on it). Secure the hook by pushing the pointed end all the way into the wall. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Hanging pictures. Push-in hooks are usually sold in packs containing four or more. To hang heavy pictures with two hooks, measure the width of the picture and divide it into three parts. Install one hook at the one-third position, and a second hook at the two-thirds position. For heavier paintings that need to be hung with three hooks, measure the width of the picture and divide it into four sections. Install one hook at the one-quarter position, one at the two-quarter position (center), and the other at the three-quarter position.

Use reusable tape or glue

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Select the type of adhesive. Double-sided tape can hold paintings in a light weight, although it is not designed for that task and can peel off the paint when unfolded. Reusable adhesive designed for painting is light in weight, but it can become mushy over time and be difficult to remove from the wall.

Reusable adhesive and tape has strong enough adhesion to hold pictures without frames or posters (not in frames), but it cannot hold more than 0.5kg weight.
Single-sided tape can be made into a double-sided tape by cutting a long strip, then rolling it into a circle with the adhesive side exposed, and tightening the ends together to form a closed circle.

Prepare the wall. Adhesives work best on flat surfaces, so you’ll need to clean the walls with some alcohol wipes. While you wait for the wall to dry, wipe the back of the poster or painting with a clean dry cloth.

Wash your hands before using the reusable adhesive to prevent dust and sweat from sticking to the adhesive. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Prepare the picture. Place the picture face down on a flat surface. Press small adhesive tablets or pieces of double-sided tape to the corners of the picture (the back of the picture). If the picture is large, tape it around the outer edge behind it.

Hanging pictures. After positioning the tape or adhesive, you lift the picture and place it on the wall where you want to hang it, press the picture to the wall to fix the adhesive or tape.

Hanging a picture string

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Find an existing fixture on the wall. You should look for hooks, screws, vents, or protrusions already on the wall that can add a few pounds. Note that this method is best suited for light canvases without frames.

Look for overhanging structures in the wall that can be traversed by wires and not strain them beyond their capacity.

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Tie rope. Cut a piece of string, twine, or wire long enough to span across two possible locations on the wall, cutting off a piece to tie knots at both ends. Tie each end of the string to those positions. You can either stretch the rope or let it sag slightly.

Tensioners look stiffer and more even, while slacks look more artistic. Choosing between these two ways of wiring is purely a matter of aesthetics.
Wire is more difficult to tie than regular wire or twine (it is easier to wrap the wire around the structure than to tie a knot), it creates an industrial look and allows the painting to slide back and forth if you want to change the position. mind. The wire is thin and strong, but cannot sag.
Braids and cords are generally easier to tie and can be left loose or stretched, giving a more rustic look than wire. Braided wire is thicker than zinc wire and regular wire, but stronger than regular wire. Wire is usually thinner than twine but weaker.

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Hanging pictures. Use clothespins or clips in general to secure the picture to the string. ^{[9] X Research Source} If the string starts to sag more than expected or the knot comes loose, the weight of the painting may be too heavy. You should use thicker twine or wire, or attach an extra wire to other structures for a second row of paintings.

To evenly distribute the weight and number of paintings on the string, place the first picture in the center of the string using a ruler or eye alignment. Using the center picture as the focal point divide the rope in half, divide the other halves in half, and hang a picture at each center point. Continue to divide the blanks in half and hang the pictures on the center point until all the pictures are hung.

Advice

Pin boards mounted on the wall or against the wall can be used to hang pictures.
Stains can be used to hang unframed pictures, posters or very light framed pictures with wire, as long as you can press it against the wall.
Framed or unframed paintings can be displayed by leaning against bookshelves, furniture, or other objects, or nested in a picture frame with a stand.

Steps