How to Hang Canvas Art
Hanging your canvases is almost an art form in and of itself. The difference between a poorly hung canvas and a well-done hanging is subtle, but in the context of a room, it can make all the difference in the world. It takes a little bit of understanding and know-how to do it right, but once you know all that you need to do to expertly hang up a canvas, your rooms will come together in a truly beautiful way. It’s all about the small things and minute details, but by no means is hanging a canvas difficult!
Just follow these simple steps and guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to being able to put your canvases up in ways that strike awe into the heart of anyone who walks into your room!
Step One: Gather the Supplies
The first thing you’re going to want to do is decide how permanent you want your canvas’s location to be. The most common way that canvases tend to be hung is with nails, but if you think you’re going to be changing its location any time in the future, you might want to find a less permanent solution.
If you’re going the permanent route with nails, you can find whatever you’d need at your local hardware store. You aren’t going to want nails that are too big, so just find a package of nails that are roughly one and a half to two inches long. They’ll probably only cost a couple of dollars, so you definitely don’t need to worry about making much of a dent in your wallet! Also, make sure that you have a hammer that you can use. If you don’t have one, you can pick up one at the hardware store where you get the nails!
A potentially better permanent solution is purchasing picture hangers. These are specifically designed to hold up canvases and other pieces of art that have sawtooth hangers on the back. Luckily for anyone who purchases from Canvas Cultures, all of our canvases have high-grade sawtooth hangers on the back, so it’s much easier to hang them! So purchase a few picture hangers from your local hardware store, make sure you have a hammer, and you’re ready to move onto the next step!
If you want to go the less permanent route, try looking into Command Picture Hangers! These are adhesive strips that will allow you to move and replace canvases with ease. And best of all, they are removable without leaving a permanent mark on your wall! They cost just a little more than nails do, but if you don’t know if you’re going to keep your canvases in one place, they are invaluable. You can find these at your local hardware store as well, or online.
Step Two: Decide on the Location
One of the most important parts of owning a canvas is deciding where to put it. A good general rule of thumb is to put the center of it around eye level to you when you’re standing, which should be around the middle between the ceiling and the floor of a room. Another good tip is to always try and be intentional about symmetry when placing your canvases. Don’t just throw your canvas up in a random location in the room, but rather, try and find places where it fits into the layout of what’s on the walls and doesn’t stick out.
When finding that special location, it’s often good to have someone else with you. When you get to a place where you think you’d like for the canvas to go, have the other person hold the canvas to the wall. Once it’s there, take a couple of steps back and walk around the room. Does it look right, or does it look a little strange where it’s at?
Whenever you’re placing something in a room, always look back and examine it from a distance, because that will give you the full context of the room, which is very important when placing art pieces. If it seems a little off, try having the person make small adjustments so that it fits as perfectly as possible in the location. If the location as a whole just doesn't seem appealing to you, that’s okay! Keep trying different spots, or maybe even different rooms. As long as there’s open space on your walls, there will be open space for your canvas!
Once you’ve finally found that magic location, have your helper hold the canvas very still in that spot. Take a pencil, and mark the location right at the center of the top of the canvas. Don’t forget to double-check that your mark is right at the center of your canvas. Remember the old craftsman saying, which says, “Measure twice, so you can cut once.” Make a little line or X, and be careful to make sure that it’s very visible and easy to see. Once you’ve done that, your helper can move the canvas away from the wall.
Step Three: Putting the Hanger in the Wall
If you’re using nails or picture hangers, get your hammer ready. For a little hammer etiquette, always remember to use light strokes with your hammer so that if you accidentally miss your nail, you don’t end up hurting yourself or your wall. The last thing you want to accidentally whack your finger, and even if you do, you want to make sure it does as little damage as possible. Nails are meant to go through walls, so you don’t need to apply very much force at all. Just gently tap the nails, and they’ll find their way into the walls.
If you’re just using bare nails, make sure that you aren’t going straight in, but rather, ensure that you’re coming in from the top, with around a 45-degree angle. That way, the downward weight of the canvas won’t cause the nail to bend downwards, but instead go further into the wall if the weight is a little too much. It ensures that the nails will be stable and usable for a long time.
If you’re using permanent picture hangers, they are likely already going to have the 45-degree angle built into the design, so you’ll be able to just put the hanger up to the wall and drive the nail through the metal loop. It’s fairly self-explanatory when you have it in your hands!
If you're going to be using the Command Picture Hangers, find the place that you marked on the wall, remove the adhesive on the back of the hanger, and carefully place it on the wall, as vertically aligned as possible. Once it’s firmly attached to the wall, you’re set to move onto the next step!
Step Four: Hanging the Canvas!
When all of your hangers are in place, it’s now time for the exciting part: hanging up your canvas! When you put it on for the first time, do it slowly and carefully. It might take a couple of tries to get the sawtooth hanger on the back of the canvas to connect with the hanger on the wall, so don’t let go of your canvas until you’re absolutely sure that it’s stably hung up. You don’t want to risk dropping your new piece of artwork!
Once the canvas is fully hanging on the wall, take a step back and examine your work! Even if you did everything right, there’s a good chance that the canvas itself might be leaning a little too far to the left or right. That’s easily remedied by simply twisting the canvas on its hook until it’s perfectly square with the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Take another walk around the room, and make sure it still looks level from a distance. If you really want to be sure that’s it is perfectly level, you can buy a level at a local hardware store or even look find a level app!
Conclusion
When it comes to hanging canvases, it tends to be a very simple task once you know what you’re doing. It may get a little more difficult as you purchase larger canvases, but as long as you have a little help, hanging canvases is very easy to master! And the nice thing about canvases is that they are easily replaceable with other similar sized canvases.
You can look at our selection of high-quality, professionally-designed and produced canvases on our website, and check out our best sellers and new releases! Now that you know how to efficiently and effectively hang canvases onto walls, your journey into livening up your home and workspaces has just begun!
Sources:
How to Hang Pictures, Mirrors, Plates 2020 | The Strategist | NY Mag