The Unexpected Reason You Should Put Hot Glue On The Back Of Your Picture Frames

Frames are a big part of adding personality to your home with family photos because their shapes, arrangements, and sizes offer many possibilities for creating a stylish look. The adhesive is in the background, but it's also important because it keeps photos in place and prevents tilting so you don't drive yourself crazy by making sure it's straight. Common adhesives are nails and command strips. Hot glue may also be used to hang up photos, but it comes in handy in a different, unexpected way. Just like picture bumpers, dots of hot glue on the back of a frame can help protect the wall from impact marks.

If you've ever had to take down a frame that's been in one spot for a long time, you've probably seen marks left behind and had to retouch the paint or look for another fast fix. These are typically caused by the random movements that happen over time and shift the frame to rub against the wall. To prevent this, you'll need your handy hot glue gun.

Picture bumpers are small pieces of rubber that can be stuck on the corners of a frame to give it some distance from the wall so it doesn't scuff. They may come included with the picture frame or they can be bought separately, but you can also make some yourself with this method. All you need to do is create little bumps on the back of your picture frames with hot glue. Now you have DIY picture frame bumpers to save the wall from scratches and even support the main adhesive in keeping the frame in place.

You can apply the glue directly to the frame, or you can put up some painter's tape first. Place the tape on the wall as the foundation for your frame, create small glue dots on the tape, and place the frame on it. Alternatively, you can put the glue on the corners of the frame and then place it on the tape. Just note that using painter's tape requires you to perfectly align the picture on the first try because it won't be easy to move after it's fixed. Using painter's tape is also better for smaller, lightweight frames. After using your glue gun, make sure you keep it clean and ready for the next project with a kitchen staple.