Many times people throw their art or decorations up on the wall with little more than a hammer, a nail, and their eye to judge the position.  But when you actually buy a piece of art that you are proud of, you want to make sure it is both displayed well, and hung safely so that you don’t risk any damage.  Here are a few tips for hanging art on different surfaces in your home:

The most common wall surface in most homes is dryall.  Drywall is extremely soft and can easily be crushed or destroyed by improperly hanging a heavy object on it.  I recommend using a stud finder which can help you locate the wooden supports within the wall.  Once you do so you can anchor your hooks on to those, and the art will be much more secure.

If you can’t find a stud where you want to hang your picture, make sure you use a good sized picture hook an anchor it in the wall.  Most home improvement stores offer picture hanging kits that come with all the pieces of hardware you need to securely hang pictures in your home.  These may also include additiona pieces such as a toggle bolt which will aid you in hanging exceptionally large pieces.

If you have plaster on your walls, you will have to resort to using a drill.  Plaster is much harder than drywall, and it will require the use of a wall anchor and screw.  The same thing goes for brick or masonry.

Other things to take into consideration is the guage of the wire that you’re using to hang the picture, the size of the frame, and the material that the frame is made from.  Use a pencil to lightly mark the location where you want to hang the picture, and by all means, if it is large or heavy be sure to have an extra pair of hands helping you.  You may risk damaging your precious art, or worse, injuring yourself.

Once you have your artwork displayed securely on your wall, you can work with your lighting and even arrange your furniture so that the entire room highlights it.