How to Hang a Collection of Small Artworks
Often, when you are a lover of art and attending and collecting at ALL of the local art markets, you end up with a ton of small pieces of art either hung at different times so they are scattered across several walls. Or they are collecting dust somewhere because you don’t know how to hang them.
A super easy way to hang them well only involves a few extra steps before climbing the ladder with hammer and nails.
You will need: craft paper or brown paper bags (large paper), pencil, tape measurer or ruler, nails or hangers, hammer (or drill and screws), maybe a ladder, and maybe a level.
Find a wall that is large enough for your collection.
Cut a piece of craft paper (you can also tape together several flattened paper bags) the size of the area where you are going to hang the art.
Lay out the eclectic framed art pieces on the floor on top of the brown paper. Rearrange until your heart sings! You may or may not want to use a level and measuring tool if you want this arrangement to be super accurately spaced and straight.
Trace the edges of the frame or canvas, etc. (you only really need the top edge and the tippy-top of the sides.)
Measure the back of the art from the side edge to the center where the nail will hold it up and transfer that measurement to the craft paper where the art will be. Make a tick mark where the nail will live. Continue until you’ve marked all measurements for each piece.
Transfer the paper to the wall, pin it, tape it, attach it securely however you can. Use a level here if you’re going for exacting levelness.
Now just hammer your nails or screw your screws where you made your tick marks.
Remove the brown paper.
Hang your art!
Drink your juicebox in your blanket tent and stare at your art. Ta-da!
I really love simple solutions that don’t require a lot of specialty materials (yes there are cool picture hanging tools) and which eliminate a lot of measuring on the wall while standing on a ladder. Let me know if this helps you!
Check out the art shop if you need to fill in any spaces on your gallery wall.
My fave art supply ever: Posca Markers!
