How to Hang Pictures Straight by Yourself

The setup

Hanging a picture is classically a two-person job: one holds it against the wall, the other stands back and squints. Alone, you're holding the frame, the pencil and the nail, and you can't see the wall from where you're standing.

Why it's hard alone

You can't hold a frame in place and judge it from across the room at the same time. And the hanging wire or hook on the back is never where you'd guess, so the nail ends up an inch off. The solo fix: stop holding the frame. Plan on paper, then hang.

The solo method

1. Trace each frame onto paper. Kraft paper or old wrapping paper. Cut it out.
2. Mark the hanging point on the paper. Pull the frame's wire taut toward the top (or measure to the hook) and mark that exact spot on the template.
3. Tape the templates to the wall. Now you can step back and judge the placement, alone, for as long as you like. A common rule of thumb: center the art about 57 inches from the floor.
4. Level the template, not the frame. Use a level or your phone's level app on the paper's top edge.
5. Nail through the mark on the paper, then tear the paper away.
6. For two hooks, use painter's tape. Run a strip across the back of the frame, mark both hooks on the tape, then move the tape to the wall and level it.
7. Check for pipes and wires before drilling, especially directly above or below outlets and switches.

What nobody tells you

Gallery walls are where solo hanging goes wrong: one crooked frame and the whole grid looks off. Template the full arrangement on the wall first and live with it for a day before you make a single hole.