I was thinking how funny it would be for me to just write, "get a hook, hit it with hammer, hang the picture and you're done" and frankly, for much of what we all will hang, that has been working pretty darn good, right? Everyone has that little tool drawer in their house filled with odds and ends, a hammer, measuring tape and such, and in most cases some miscellaneous doodads for hanging a picture. There in that compartment of the drawer organizer, in the back, off to the side, an opened box of picture hooks or some assorted nails. Hey, it gets the job done. Through the many art gallery shows I've hung and home visits I've made, I can only guess that I've hung in the thousands of paintings, prints, mirrors and such, but it's the rehanging of things for customers that has given me the most entertainment, (oops), I meant insight into picture hanging techniques. There have been little nails, big nails, really big nails, little hook-big picture, big hook-little picture, molly bolts and lag bolts. There have been picture wire, but also twine, string and fence wire. Throw in too high, too low, off center and well, you get the picture (no pun intended). So, in honor of this resourcefulness and in the name of picture hanging happiness, I would like to offer up (to the rest of you) a few helpful tips. So, here goes.

1) Hanging is first about weight. There are hooks and wire to safely support that weight. Get it wrong and what you hung could come down, resulting in damaged art and maybe broken glass. If you're not sure, I say a bigger hook is better.

2) Picture hanging supplies are cheap and easy to find. Hardware stores and frame shops can help. Buy an assortment of different size hooks and maybe even some wire as well to keep on hand.

3) Most things are hung on drywall. Don't use nails! Okay, stop using nails. Nails are not hooks. Nails can bend, but more likely will not be supported correctly by drywall unless you hit a stud and even then they are not right for the job. Picture hooks are designed to hold the picture and keep the nail from bending down and in most cases you do not need to hit a stud, just have the proper size hook for the piece you are hanging.

4) On anything bigger than the outside dimensions of maybe 12"X16" (ball park), I start using two hooks and not mainly because of safety, but rather just to help keep the picture straight. Bigger things on one hook tend to become crooked. With time, vibration, the earth spinning, etc., the one hook becomes a pivot point. Try splitting the picture's width into thirds using one of those thirds to separate your hooks. Example- the picture is 36" wide, 1/3 of 36" is 12" or one foot. So, you would place your hooks about a foot apart and then place the picture's wire across both, slide the wire back and forth in the hooks until you have equal amounts side to side and then make sure it's straight and it should stay level.

5) Little rubber stick on bumpers can also be used on the back at the bottom corners to help your picture from sliding on the wall.

6) You can use a level to make sure a picture is straight (I never do), but I find it's the closest horizontal parallel line that works best to the eye. Example- look at the parallel relationship between the top of your picture and the bottom of the crown molding above it or a piece of furniture below it. In the case of small pieces, it can be best to use the side of the picture and a vertical line such as a door jam molding.

7) Follow the same example for measuring for your hook placement, it's often better to measure down from the crown molding than up from the floor. In short, you can hold the picture where you like it on the wall and place a piece of tape on the wall indicating the top edge of the frame. Then measure, on the back of the picture, holding the wire like it is on a hook or hooks, from the wire to the top edge of the frame, let's say that's 8". Now measure down from the bottom edge of the crown molding to your tape mark on the wall, let's say that's 20", now add the 8" inches and you have 28" you need to have from the bottom of the crown down to the hooks. Then you need to find center, do so between walls or by the width of a piece of furniture that might be below it.

8) For height, most things should be hung around your standing eye level unless you are fairly short or tall. Find a happy medium and remember the relationship to other things near the art.

9) For very heavy things (big mirrors, etc.) or things being hung very high, in an unusual place or on a stone wall, things of this nature, you may be best calling a professional or handyman. These jobs often require wall anchors and holding heavy things while on a ladder. Keep it safe.