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1. Cut some large pieces of paper into the size of whatever you want to hang. Get them in juuuust the right position with painter's tape, and voila! You've got a template for when you hang the real deal — no more making holes in the wrong places.
2. Don't be afraid to get a little help from the pros. You can get virtual help creating at gallery wall from Framebridge. They'll match you with a designer based on your preferences and what you want to hang, create a custom layout for you, and even send you a hanging plan and instructions.
3. Get posters to stick (and stay stuck) with a strong-yet-removeable adhesive putty on the edges, corners, and a few places in the middle of the poster.
4. Opt for Command hooks to hang small signs, art, or calendars without leaving any residue. You can also use them as storage hooks!
5. If you're still having trouble getting Command strips or hooks to work, make sure you're using the right size and following the directions exactly — even if it means letting them sit on the walls for a bit before hanging! Patience, my child.
6. If you're looking to hang a towel rack in your bathroom without major installation or losing your deposit, Command makes an adhesive one of those, too!
7. Put up a pretty tapestry by using small nails at the corners.
8. Or, if you'd rather not make even small holes in the wall or the tapestry, use a hot glue gun to attach a light tapestry to some painter's tape, which won't leave behind any residue.
9. OR opt for peel-and-stick Velcro, which can also work for other small items.
10. Before making a hole, identify what kind of walls you have. Some materials are sturdier than others, so this will help you determine where and how you can hang things.
11. Assuming you have drywall or plaster, as most people do, use a stud finder to, well, find a stud (a magnetic one will work for either material).
12. OR, find the stud yourself by knocking on the wall or using a strong magnet.
13. If the studs aren't where you want them, find the proper hardware so you can sturdily hang things in between them.
14. Hang mirrors, frames, or shelves up to 60 pounds with a French cleat hanger.
15. If you've got brick walls, understand that drill holes are harder to repair in mortar, so opt for brick clips to bypass the drill altogether.
16. Stay safe and ensure you don't drill into wires or pipes by drilling just deep enough to break through the wall and then checking the area behind it with a thin object. And when making deep holes, try to stick to screws instead of nails so you're more in control of how deep into the wall you go.
17. When you are using a nail, save yourself from accidentally hammering your fingers by holding the nail with a clothespin.
18. Measure the distance between hooks on the back of an object with — you guessed it — painter's tape, then use it to mark where you need to make your holes.
19. Invest (though for $8, it's not a big investment) in a level to keep everything you hang ~in line~, because you can do better than just asking your roommate to eyeball it.
20. Or pick up one of these nifty tools that's a ruler, a level, and a marker all in one.
21. Know your drilling basics and make sure you're using the right kind of drill bit.
22. Before you start drilling, fold up a sticky note to catch the shavings so they don't get all over everything.
23. Mount a frameless mirror with either mirror clips or adhesive.
24. If you're looking to decorate on a budget or don't want to fully commit major $$$ to gallery wall pieces just yet, Etsy has lots of instantly downloadable prints you can print at home in whatever size you need and can swap out frequently since they're so affordable.
25. And because — in the words of Hannah Montana — everybody makes mistakes, fill in holes with putty or even white soap or toothpaste!
26. Or pick up a tube of this 4-in-1 hole repair product. It's a squeeze bottle of spackle with a built-in primer, plus it has a built-in putty knife on the top and a sanding pad on the cap, so you can easily cover mistakes or get your security deposit back when it's time to move.
So no more getting hung up on the task of decorating your walls. NBD, you got this now.
