Hanging Objects on a Wall the Right Way (the First Time)
It’s a jolly good day, wouldn’t you say?! Did you watch the Royal Wedding this morning? Or did you DVR it to watch later (like I did.) I hope you enjoyed my photos from London and didn’t mind the diversion.
Now I’m back into DIY tutorial mode for the time being. Today you can get a double dose of Pretty Handy Girl! Can I get a “WOOT!”
First up I will be showing you how to make Cubby Shelves out of a Bread Crate and a wooden pallet.
And the best part about this project is it doesn’t require any nails or screws! To view this tutorial you will want to head over to visit with the very lovely and very beautiful Amy from Positively Splendid.
Not only is she as beautiful as Kate Middleton, but she also possesses the talent to create a royal wedding gown. Too bad Kate didn’t call her to design her dress. Amy is a sweetheart and a fellow blogger I met at Blissdom. You will just love her blog!
After you have read my tutorial (and gobbled up several of Amy’s tutorials) you can slip back over here to learn how to hang almost anything on the wall perfectly level and plumb the first time. I’ll be showing you how I hung my bread crate cubby shelves in the tutorial.
Let’s begin, shall we?
Materials:
Picture Hangers (be sure to check weight limit)
Hammer
Level
Pencil
If your object doesn’t have hooks or a wire yet, you will likely need:
D-ring hooks
Screwdriver or Drill with a screwdriver bit.
If you have had misadventures hanging pictures, I have the tutorial for you! Hanging anything on the wall successfully doesn’t have to be hard. All you need are the right hangers and the right technique.
Because my crate didn’t have any hangers attached to it, I needed to add D-ring hooks. Starting on the left, I carefully measured 3″ down from the top of my object. Then made a mark 4″ in from the side. I repeated the same steps on the right side making sure the hooks would be the same distance in from the edges and 3″ from the top edge.
Then I screwed the D-ring hooks into the back of the crate.
Hanging something heavy requires using some different hangers that are rated for the weight of the object you are hanging. Bulldog Hardware sent me some of their rubberized picture hanging hooks to try. These have rubberized tips to keep pictures from shifting or moving (like when my son rushes inside slamming the door behind him.)
In my case, my crate weighs about 12 lbs. filled up. So, I reached for two 50 lb. hangers (Did you forget I have boys that can exert up to 100 lbs. of pressure on anything in my home?)
Start by holding your object up against the wall where you want to hang it.
Make a pencil mark at the top of your object. Set your object down.
Now determine what you want to center your object on. For example: centering the object on a wall; centering it between two windows; or centering your object on another object. In my case I am centering my shelf on the toilet.
Find the center and make a pencil mark.
Set your level vertically against the center mark.
When the level reads perfectly plumb (straight up and down) you can transfer the center mark higher and closer to the top of your object.
Now, measure the distance between the hooks on your object.
Mine are 3″ down from the top. And let’s say the hooks are 16″ apart.
This tells me I need to install my picture hangers at 3″ down from the top of the object and 8″ out from the center mark on both sides.
Use the level to make sure that both marks are level.
Set the picture hanger against the wall so the bottom of the hook lines up with the marks you made.
Gently tap the nails in with a hammer.
Carefully lift your object and line up the D-ring hooks with the picture hanger hooks. Sometimes it helps to have an assistant for this part.
Pull down on your object and make sure it is secure. Now fill ‘er up and enjoy!
What do you think? Did this method make sense? You can certainly use the same technique to hang pictures or a group of pictures.
My problem is it leans forward. Is there away to have it so the top isn’t leaning downwards?
Christine, you can add little bumpers to the back of the bottom edge. You can buy them at a framing shop. Or use furniture felt pads. They also keep items from shifting on the wall.
Hello,
Love the idea of hanging the crate as you would a picture. My question; did you need to find the studs on the wall? Thanks for your awesome idea! 🙂
No, I didn’t but I used hangers made to hold a little more weight. And, I don’t store anything too heavy in it.
Hi , I have two wooden crates i would like to hang on my kitchen wall , for extra storage and to hold glasses and other forms of dishes , will these hooks hold such heavy things , ? I wait the crates to be safe and my dishes too LOL Thank you Andrea
Go out and look at my video of my new level. You will love it.
Wow! You ARE a handy girl. This stuff would go right over my head were it not for your helpful pictures. Thanks.
PS Tevo-ed the wedding but still have not watched it…I know, I know…