Heidi Monner

Finding creative ways to display personal and family photos can be surprisingly daunting and difficult if you do not have much experience with design and hardware. Here are a few pointers to get you started or inspire you to finish a job you started and abandoned too many times.

First, gather all of the pictures in consideration for display. This will allow you to edit your selections based on the spaces you plan to hang the pictures, the theme of the photos or the color scheme. Having the artwork all in one helps you move it around like a puzzle until the arrangements feels just right.

Next, find a default hanging height. 57 inches on center is the museum and gallery standard, according to the renovation experts at Apartment Therapy. “On center” means the middle of the photograph or painting will always be at 57 inches, the average human eye height.

Heidi Monner

When the plan is to hang multiple pictures, treat the entire grouping as a single unit and find the center of the middle piece of your ideal layout. Remember, frames don’t have to match, but placing framed artwork side by side can give a person a feel for whether the images and the frames work together in the space. Making paper templates of the frames makes it easy to tape them to the wall and rearrange until you are satisfied.

Now, to the hardware store. Be sure to take the weight of the picture into consideration when selecting hanging hardware. If it won’t work to hang a heavy frame on a stud, wall anchors may be needed to keep the frame sturdy in the drywall. Home improvement resource Today’s Homeowner also suggests using self-adhesive rubber bumpers to the bottom corners on the back of the frame before hanging so that the picture will not damage the wall and will help it hang level.

The step of measuring is key, of course. Measure the wall to achieve the 57” on center location, and then calculate where this falls within the height of the artwork and frame top. Next, measure from the top of the frame to the hanger. Take into consideration the type of attachment or fastener on the back. Now adjust accordingly and mark. Then measure the distance from the frame top to the hanger location on the wall.

It can take a few attempts to hang pictures correctly, but as you move through your artwork, practice will build a satisfying skill set.