I’ve hung A LOT of wallpaper in my life. Before, to hang art on the wallpaper, I’d just put a hole in the paper. But I’ve always worried about what happened when I changed my mind on the art. BUT I recently found a really good alternative! Here’s my hack for how to hang art without damaging wallpaper.
how to hang art without damaging wallpaper
SUPPLIES
step 1
Here’s my bedroom where I wanted to hang a little piece of art over the door.
To begin, I simply held my art up where I wanted and marked with a pencil where I wanted my nail to go. But don’t just put a nail hole in! This will damage the wallpaper and is really hard to fix!
step 2
Instead, take your exact-o knife and cut a V in the wallpaper right where the nail is supposed to go. The idea with this is that the nail can then go right where the drywall is showing and if the art is ever removed, all you have to do is put some paste on the opening and put the flap down! Minimal damage that will be barely visible!
step 3
And now, just hammer in the nail where you marked with the pencil. As you can see, the flap of wallpaper sits on top of it. Once the nail is removed, it can be glued down and you won’t be able to see the hole. Magic!
other thoughts on hanging things on wallpaper
Can you use command strips or adhesives to hang things on wallpaper? I wouldn’t recommend it. Why? They may tear a hole in the wallpaper if they get ripped off the wall. Again, this would be really hard to fix!
Can you use screws? Yes, definitely! You can use them exactly like how I used the nail- cut a V in the wallpaper, drill in the screw. Later the wallpaper can cover the hole. You’ll want to use screws for hanging heavy things like drapes, a mirror, or shelves. So this hack will definitely come in handy!
Aesthetically, does it look good to hang art over wallpaper? I say definitely yes! It’s a layered look that’s really lovely. Make sure that the art and wallpaper work together and it’ll look gorgeous.
Any other options for hanging art on wallpaper? The one option that is 100% damage free is to use a picture rail. That’s where there’s a rail by the crown molding and wires are attached to the rail. Hooks can be added to the wire and hung. It’s a really historic look- beautiful in old homes that can be made modern looking too.
after
Ok! Here’s my little sign all hung up! It’s looking cute over the closet doors in my bedroom. I found this in a closet and decided to get it hung. Hopefully this little tutorial on how to hang art with out damaging wallpaper is helpful!
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