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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Dear Just Be: I just moved into a new home and want to decorate. Since I live alone can you give any tips for hanging a picture straight?

Without a buddy a few feet away from the picture, sometimes it can be difficult to know if you are hanging a picture straight. And you probably don't want a lot of little holes in your new walls. Here are seven easy steps to follow when hanging a picture:

1. Find your desired area on the wall and mark it with a pencil. To center, measure the wall width and halve it.
2. Measure. Pictures should hang at eye level, about 57 inches above the floor. At that height, in line with your mark, draw a short horizontal line.
3. Hold the center of your picture over that line and make a second line where the top of your frame hits the wall.
4. Flip your picture over. If it has a hook, measure from the top of the frame to the top of the hook. If it has a wire, pull it taut and measure from the top of the frame to the peak of the wire. That tells you how many inches down from the top line you have to put in the nail.
5. Measure again, this time from your top-of-frame mark to the point where your wire or hook sits. Mark that point with a horizontal line and circle it. That's where your nail (or if you have a heavy frame, the bottom of your picture-hanging hook) will go.
6. Tap the wall on your hanging area. Does it make a dull thud? If so, lucky you! That means there's a stud beneath it. On your mark, tap in a nail at a 45-degree angle. Or does the wall sound hollow? Then you'll need either a picture-hanging hook or a hollow-wall anchor and a screw. (If you don't use either, your picture will fall.) To use the hook, align the bottom with your mark and tap in the nail. To use an anchor, drill a hole, tap or screw in the anchor and drive in the screw, leaving just enough room to hang the picture.
7. Hang your picture, level it and marvel at your fantastic handiwork. Now walk past the picture and see if its eyes are following you. If they are, run!

Enjoy your new homey home!

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