Cool Tip I Want to Share...

The other day I was watching a home improvement show, and I saw this great technique for hanging an arrangement of pictures easily. Now you may already know about this idea, but humor me, it's a new discovery of mine, and it has worked fabulously for hanging pictures in my bedroom this week. (I know I'm still getting stuff hung on my walls five months after moving in -- Abbie, you put me to shame with all of your hard work decorating your apartment within the first month or so of being there.) Anyway, here's what I learned...

1.) Trace an outline of each of your pictures on butcher paper, newspaper, or packing paper (or whatever large paper you have on hand).



2.) Cut out your outline. Then flip your pictures over and line up your cutout with the back of your picture.

3.) When you have it lined up, carefully pull it back till you can see the bracket for the nail. (I know you can't see the bracket in this picture, but it's there.)

4.) Noting the nailing bracket's location, lay the cutout back down, and mark where your nail needs to be. I have been able to feel through the paper the groove for my nail, and I put an arrow head on the paper to mark the spot. (You may also want to label your cutout with which picture it belongs to.)

Do steps 1-4 for all of your pictures.

5.) Next lay your pictures out on the ground to experiment with spacing and arrangement.

6.) When you are satisfied with your arrangement, take all of your cutouts and tape them to the wall in the desired arrangement. (I would suggest masking tape, so you don't pull paint off your wall when you remove the cutout.) Shift around your cutouts as needed to make the arrangment look appropriate for your space. Also take your time to make sure that you have gotten your cutouts level.

7.) Hammer your nails or picture hangers directly through your cutouts in all of your nail markings. Then pull your cutout off the wall by tearing through the edge around the nail, leaving the nail in the wall exactly where you need it.

8.) And finally hang your pictures on your perfectly placed nails! Voila! (Of course, I still need to fill the massive holes left by the previous homeowners on this wall.)

I have used this to hang several arrangements, and it has worked perfectly! And I have used it to mark nail spots for pictures that have two brackets on the back. For me this has been so much easier than trying to measure and mark and hammer and decide to rearrange and rehammer and rearrange and rehammer and ... you get the picture. My only extra tip is pay special attention if your pictures that have two brackets that are off center that you hang your cutout the right way on the wall.

So there's my latest and greatest discovery! I hope it helps at least one of you!