How to Hang Photos and Prints Without Nails or Tape

How to Hang Photos and Prints Without Nails or Tape

Most walls end up with a few too many holes in them. If you rent, change your mind a lot, or have a kid who produces a new masterpiece every week, you want a way to hang things up without committing. Here are five options, with what each is good and bad at.

1. Adhesive strips

Strips like Command are the easiest option for light frames. Clean the wall first, follow the weight rating on the pack, and press firmly for the time it says. They're good for a single frame, but swapping the picture means taking the frame off the wall.

2. A picture ledge or shelf

A narrow shelf with a lip lets you lean frames on it and change them whenever you like. It needs mounting once, and the frames sit forward from the wall.

3. String and clips

A length of twine or wire with small clips is cheap and works well for postcards and kids' art. It sags when you load it up, and the clips can dent thick paper.

4. Magnets

If you have a metal board or fridge, magnets hold paper with no damage at all. That limits where you can put it, and heavier paper slips.

5. A hanging bar that holds paper itself

This is what we make. The Gravity Bar is a wooden bar that holds photos, prints and kids' art using glass balls and gravity, with no clips or tape. Slide a print in, slide it out, and swap it in seconds.

The bar itself can hang with screws, or with adhesive strips if you'd rather not drill.

Which one should you choose?

For a single heavy frame, use screws or a good adhesive strip. For anything you like to change often, like kids' art, recipes or a rotating set of prints, a hanging bar or a ledge will save you time and wall repairs.

Want to see one in action? Take a look at the Gravity Bar.