Maybe you’re a renter, have plaster walls, a wallpaper you don’t want to damage, or maybe you’re like me and don’t want to see a thousand holes in your wall behind every picture you hang because you couldn’t get the positioning juuuust right… That last one may be just me, but for whatever reason you can’t or don’t want to damage your walls just to hang some beautiful art, not to worry, there are ways to hang artwork without nails or damaging your walls at all. Read below for a few of my favorite ways.
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How To Hang Artwork Without Nails
Command Strips and Hooks
This first one is the one that most everyone thinks of. Command strips are great for lighter weight art or art prints that you are hanging without a frame, posters, or smaller canvases or frames. Command also makes heftier type picture hanging strips that you can use for a little heftier art in frames or larger canvases. I’d use several along the top if you want to make sure your art won’t move. If you have a heavier mirror, wreath, or something similar, you can also check out Command hooks. Command strips are a great option because you can move them around without damaging your walls, and they also make the art hang flush with the wall so there are no weird gaps. The hooks will have a slight gap, but still look very finished when they are up.
Magnetic Paint
If you are a home owner or a renter who has the ability to paint, magnetic paint is a great option. You can paint a whole accent wall, tape off a section, or paint a larger piece of thin plywood and lean it up against your walls. Then just attach some adhesive backed magnets to your art and away you go. You can then easily move artwork around and change your layout on a whim.
Display Easel
Whenever you traditionally thought about how to hang artwork without nails, someone almost always mentions an easel. Not the kind that you actually use to paint your next masterpiece on (I guess you technically could if you wanted to), but the more inexpensive versions that are made just for display. If you have the space, a display easel is a great option. There are floor easels and even smaller tabletop versions that can give you lots of flexibility.
The Art of the Lean
You don’t have to have a free-floating piece of art on the wall. Us your mantel, a shelf, the top of a dresser or nightstand, etc… and simply frame or have a canvas printed of your artwork and lean it up against the way. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Ladder Shelves
Ladder shelves are a great way to display artwork without having to drill any holes in your walls. Get a ladder shelf or two and lean them up against a wall. Frame your artwork so it is substantial enough and then place varying sizes on the shelves. The top shelf will have the most space to display the largest artwork. This is also a great way to create an accent corner or wall.
Room Dividers
Room dividers or folding screens aren’t just for squabbling siblings. Room dividers can be decorative and be the perfect spot for a gallery wall. Frame and hang art on one or both sides of a room divider and place behind a sofa, in a corner or actually use it to divide sections of your room beautifully.
String and Clips
This one sounds a little childish, but it can actually be done quite stylishly. You can take some decorative string or even twine and use mounting putty to “glue” each end to the wall. Then use decorative clips, clothespins, etc… and clip different art along the string. With this option, you don’t have to worry about framing or getting a canvas printed, simply print off some printable art prints on quality paper and hang away. You can have a uniform look with all the same size, or change it up and have varying sizes along the way. This is also a great way to display kid’s art. (Check out my post 4 Super Easy Kids Room Wall Art Ideas for more info on kid’s wall art options.)
How to Hang Artwork Without Damaging Walls
A lot of times, renters or people that can’t or don’t want to damage their walls with nails feel like there aren’t stylish options for hanging nice artwork. The above are seven very easy and inexpensive ways for how to hang artwork without nails. With a few dollars and a little creativity, you can have a beautiful statement piece or gallery wall without a construction zone.
