Use One Handy Bathroom Staple To Hang Wall Art In A Pinch

Artwork is an important element in adding personality and style to any room. While frames and hanging canvases come with a variety of hanging apparatus — from the simple to the intricate and complicated — one hack may have you reaching into your medicine cabinet the next time you need to hang artwork. If you are at a loss on how to hang any lightweight piece of art, you can rig it up quite nicely with ordinary dental floss.

Using dental floss to hang pictures in your home is a surefire solution, particularly if you find a particular piece's hanging hardware is broken or insufficient for keeping things on the wall. Like wire hangers, dental floss is also perfect for getting a straight lay against the wall, allowing the artwork to balance easily. It's a great hack if you find yourself without the necessary equipment for the hanging job and need a readily available material that will hold just as sturdily and inconspicuously.

To use dental floss for hanging artwork, make your own hardware by installing two hooks, penny nails, or small screws in the frame or wood on each side of the piece. Place them ⅓ to ¼ of the way down, which will allow the painting to hang flush against the wall by the dental floss. Take a piece of floss and secure it around one side by wrapping or knotting, and with sufficient slack to hang on the nail, tie the other end to the opposite side hardware.

Unlike wire, dental floss is easier on your walls and will prevent scratching up your paint job if someone bumps the artwork. Most nylon dental floss has a tensile strength of up to 25 pounds but works best for hanging lighter and smaller artwork. For heavier pieces, use wire, fishing line, or picture cord in a similar fashion that can accommodate greater weights.