Now that you have your photo and picture frame all ready it's time for the important job of hanging your picture frame. Hanging a picture frame isn't hard, but there are a few important steps that you should do before you start that will help you save some time. This article will walk you through the different ways to hang your picture frame and give you some important steps to make hanging your frame easier.

Ways to Hang Your Frame

There are basically three ways to hang your picture frame - screws, nails, or adhesives.

Nails

The most common way to hang photo frames is with finishing nails. Finishing nails are easy to install and won’t create a large hole in your wall- if you use a small nail. Always hammer the nail into a wall stud at a 45 degree angle. If you’re hanging heavy or large picture frames, it’s important to put the nail in a stud. Don’t take a chance of damaging your picture frame, or your sheet rock, by hammering your nail directly into sheet rock that won’t hold the weight of your picture frame. If you don't know how to locate a wall stud, the best way is to use a stud finder (available at any hardware store).

Screws

Hanging picture frames on concrete, stone or brick walls requires the extra strength and support of screws. Screws do make larger holes so you normally don't want to use them unless you have no choice. In order to secure screws into brick or concrete you will need to pre-drill a hole using a mason drill bit and make the hole smaller than the size of the screw. You should also consider using screw anchors as they will help secure the screw into the wall.

Adhesives

The third method for securing a hanging wall frame is with the use of adhesives. They are simple and quick and don't require any holes in the wall. Adhesives, like 3M's Command Strips, are becoming increasingly more popular and are available in hooks or Velcro. Carefully read the instructions as there are weight limitations and instructions that must be carefully followed. Hanging small picture frames with adhesives works best, but some adhesives will hold up to 5 pounds. If the picture is too heavy for the adhesive to hold, you could damage your picture so use with caution.

Once you've decided how you'll hang your wall frames, you now have to decide where your picture frames will be hung.

Hanging Your Wall Picture Frame

When hanging your picture frames on the wall, it is best have someone help you with this step. You can have them hold the frame at different positions on the wall so you can find the perfect spot. If you're not sure of how high to hang your picture frame, you generally want to hang it around eye level or about 3/4 of the way up the wall.

If you’re hanging multiple wall picture frames, it’s best to decide upon the spacing of each frame before you start hanging them on the wall. Hanging multiple picture frames can be challenging so to make your wall arrangement look good, you should arrange the frames on the floor until you like how it looks. For best results, follow these steps:

1. Measure the wall area where the picture frames will hang.

2. Use a string to outline the measured wall space on the floor.

3. Carefully place your frames on the floor (on top of a blanket or towel if there's no carpet) and arrange them until you're satisfied.

4. Once you have the right placement on the wall for your frame arrangement, begin transferring it to the wall. If possible, have someone help you as it will be easier with two people. If you have an empty wall with nothing hanging there, begin to hang your picture frames by starting in the center of your arrangement and working outwards. If you have other things on the wall and don't have much space, then you should start on one side and work to the other end using the floor arrangement measurements.

5. Before placing the screw or nail, double check the back of the frame and see where the hanger is placed so you can properly position the frame at the height you want. And if you want to be sure your frames are straight, use a small level to double check.

Now that you know what hardware is available and have basic steps to follow to hang your picture frames, hopefully it will help you from putting a bunch of unnecessary holes in your wall and make the process a whole lot easier.