Your canvas is complete, your masterpiece is perfection, so naturally you are ready to show it off! But how do you hang your wall art in an easy, no fuss way?
Follow our step by step guide to display your Picasso worthy creations with ease.
What to Consider Before Hanging Your Canvas Art:
Lighting:
You want to show off the beautiful textures, details and colours of your masterpiece, so choosing an area with soft natural lighting is a must! However, direct sunlight hitting the canvas should be avoided as it may fade or discolour artworks over time.
Canvas weight:
Smaller canvas prints (up to 16 x 16 inches) can be easily supported on the wall with a saw tooth bracket attached to the top of the timber frame.
For a larger canvas, wire or string attached to the sides is the way to go as it can bear more weight and offer hanging stability.
Most importantly when choosing your hanging method, purchase hangers that are rated for the weight of your canvas, these are typically easily identified on the packaging!
Wall material:
It is essential to consider your wall material in preparation for hanging your canvas print and clean the surface before you start!
Brick or Concrete
If you are comfortable using a drill, hanging your canvas print will come with relative ease! Some important factors to consider:
- You may need to drill holes in the wall for additional support.
- Measure twice, drill once!
- Both the brick and the mortar which holds the bricks together are suitable to drill into with the right tools, mortar tends to be easier to work with.
- You will need a 1/8 inch masonry drill bit and a masonry screw of the same thickness (or slightly thicker) to screw into the hole.
- A masonry anchor or sleeve may come in handy, these anchoring systems expand when the screw is tightened, providing a stronger hold.
Plaster
Plaster tends to be brittle and is more susceptible to cracking or breaking so drilling a small hole in the and using a plaster screw reduces the risk of damage to your wall.
You will also want to locate a wall stud, this is a piece of timber behind the plaster that you can anchor your screw to. You can pick up an electronic stud finder at the hardware store or try gently knocking along the wall, listen closely and you will hear where the cavity is hollow where there is a stud there will be a higher tone and more solid sound.
Drywall
Drywall is a user friendly surface to hang canvas art and luckily the majority of walls are constructed with this material!
There are a range of quick and straightforward drywall hanging methods that can be tackled with a few simple tools.
The best part is, unless you’re hanging something really heavy, like the weight of a baby Hippo heavy, you don’t even need to find the wall stud to hang your canvas print.
Protecting your wall:
Avoid using too much force when hammering, be careful not to scratch or dent your walls when measuring and mark out pencil lines with a light touch.
You can protect your walls from being scratched or marked by the wooden frame by applying stick on wall protection pads to the back of your canvas print.
What You Will Need to Hang Your Canvas Print:
You have read over all the basic tips on how to hang a canvas, now it’s time to collect your kit.
Head to your local hardware store and get ready to feel like Bob the Builder as you fill your trolley with these essential tools:
- Measuring tape
- Hammer
- Steel wire or art wire/cord
- D rings or sawtooth hanger
- Spirit level
Different Ways to Hang Canvas on a Wall:
Your canvas is ready for its spotlight moment, prepare it for hanging with one of these methods.
Sawtooth hangers:
Sawtooth brackets are perfect for small, lightweight canvas prints and art, easily attached with two small screws to the wooden frame of your artwork.
D-ring hangers:
D rings come in various sizes and shapes with screw holes and screws to attach to your canvas frame. Like sawtooth hangers, these are attached with a screw to the wooden frame and string or wire is added. Take the wire or string and thread it through both D-rings, tie a knot to fasten each end, pulling taut.
Wire or string hanging:
An alternative to D rings is simply stapling wire or string to the wooden frame and tying knots firmly on each end. Standard staple guns can be purchased at your local hardware or craft store and are easy to use, just mind your fingers and make sure to double staple for a firm hold!
Picture hanging adhesive strips:
This invention is perfect for those wanting to hang a smaller canvas print who are more reluctant to grab that drill, change their minds often or are living in a rental property.
Adhesive strips for wall mounting allow you to hang smaller canvases without making holes or leaving sticky residue. They are affordable, super easy to put up and can hold up to 16 pounds.
- Measure and cut strips for all four sides of the canvas.
- Remove the backing and carefully place strips on all four sides.
- Position and firmly stick it to the wall.
FAQ:
How can I maintain my canvas and keep it clean?
Enhance the lifespan of your artworks with a regular Spring clean! The best part is, you don’t need to purchase any special cleaning products to keep those canvas prints looking fine and dandy!
For dust and surface dirt a clean, dry cloth will do the trick. If you have some more heavy residue to take care of, take a slightly damp cloth (using distilled water) and gently wipe over the canvas.
Over time temperature changes may cause your canvas print to sag a little inside of its frame and we have a simple fix!
Fill a clean spray bottle with distilled water and spray a fine mist over the back of the canvas. Leave to dry and notice how it slowly tightens up and pulls itself back into position like magic! Once fully dry, you can hang your clean, newly stretched masterpiece back on the wall.
How can I make sure my canvas art is level without using a spirit level?
A wonky picture on a slight angle is quite distracting but have no fear, there are two surefire hacks to achieving perfectly level picture placement without a spirit level!
#1 Smartphone apps – Bubble level and Spirit Level are free and easy to use, acting as a digital version of a spirit level tool.
#2 Measuring tape – Start from the ceiling and measure down the wall to the top corners of the canvas, adjust your canvas print until both corners are the exact same measurement.
What is the ideal height for hanging canvas prints on the wall?
A general rule is to hang your canvas print on the wall at eye-level, especially if you are planning to hang your masterpiece above a sofa or bed frame.
If you are ready to get fancy and follow Museum guidelines to accurately hang your canvas at eye level follow these basic tips:
- Lay the canvas print on a flat surface and measure from the top left corner to the bottom corner.
- Divide this number by two to find the canvas height centre.
- Add 57 inches (140cm) to this number.
- Measure your total number on the wall starting from the floor up mark with a pencil. This is how high the top of the canvas print needs to be from the floor.
How do I measure out a set of canvas art to hang together?
Hanging a set of wall art doesn’t need to be daunting! Consider these few basic hints to ensure a gallery worthy display:
- Lay out your canvas prints on the floor and decide on the placement. This is where you can get creative ideas flowing, consider which one will be central, do the colours or patterns of each canvas look more complimentary in a particular order?
- Measure out a distance of 2-4 inches between each canvas print.
- Mark each spot on the wall with a pencil.
- The first artwork you hang will be the central focal point of the complete layout and should be hung first, working outwards to hang the remaining canvas prints.
Are there places I should not hang canvas art?
Avoid direct sunlight so those harsh UV rays can’t infiltrate your art!
Rooms that are humid like bathrooms or kitchens tend to have a lot of moisture build up so take this into consideration when choosing the perfect location to hang your canvas.
If you absolutely need to display some awesome canvas art in your bathroom or kitchen, it’s important to apply a protective coating to your canvas to keep out moisture and clean it regularly.
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