Use A Thumbtack Hack For Spot-On Picture Placement When Hanging Wall Decor

When you walk into a home, you immediately get a sense of the people who live there. Bright and whimsical decor says "We're fun and a little quirky," while muted tones and clean lines reveal someone's minimalist and understated tastes. Our homes are an extension of who we are, reflecting our interests, personalities, and style.

One of the easiest ways to add a touch of ourselves to our homes is through wall hangings such as illustrations, photographs, or knick-knacks. They reveal where we've been, who we are, and what or who means the most to us. Thanks to inspiration on social media like the 'dopamine décor' trend that is taking over TikTok or the red theory trend that can instantly elevate a boring picture frame, we have an abundance of ideas on ways to personalize our spaces.

If you want to hang some wall art but are paralyzed by the logistics, then you're in luck. To make accurate picture placement less intimidating, try a hack using just cardstock and a thumbtack, which works with any frames that have a sawtooth hanger (hanging with a jagged edge). You'll simply press the tack into the cardstock, thread it through the sawtooth hanger, and use it to mark a hole where you'll then hammer in the nail. Here's more on how to complete this nifty trick.

To try out this hack, begin by cutting out a narrow strip of cardstock or thin cardboard, measuring about an inch wide and 10 inches long. Attach a thumbtack in the center of one end of the strip. Next, insert the cardstock — the end without the tack — up through the sawtooth hanger. Continue sliding the cardstock through until the thumbtack catches on the teeth. Make sure the tack is positioned in the center of the teeth. Then, hold the top end of the cardstock so that the paper is taut and place the frame against the spot on the wall where you want to hang your picture. Press down on the frame until the thumbtack pierces the wall. Don't push too deeply — just enough to leave a light divot. Remove the frame and hammer a nail into the hole left by the thumbtack. 

While this trick is made for sawtooth hangers, it can also work with a frame that features a ring hanger (also called a triangle or D-ring hanger), which looks like a mini door knocker. To use this hack with this type of hanger, place the thumbtack at the very top of the triangle or D-ring and hold it carefully in place when pushing the frame against the wall. 

You also can use a toothpaste hack to hang pictures, but the downside is that you will need to wipe the toothpaste off of the frame and the wall once you've hung the nail. A dab of toothpaste is also less precise of a marker than the prick of a thumbtack.