Everything You Need To Hang Artwork Yourself | HuffPost Life

Photo-hanging kits, drills, stud finders and other gear you need to decorate your place.

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Olelole via Getty Images

Few things will make you feel more badass than properly hanging framed art by yourself. Whether you’re moving into a new place or just want to redecorate, sometimes you have to switch up your wall space. And if you’re looking to create an eclectic home gallery or just want to hang a single photo, we’ve broken down all the things you need to do it totally straight on your own, no TaskRabbit required.

We’ve included everything from the basics (painter’s tape and a level) to stud finders, drills and drywall anchors for more heavy-duty jobs. Asses the object you’re hanging to to chose the equipment you specifically need. As always, if you’re renting, check your lease to be sure you’re allowed to drill things into the wall. You don’t want to lose your security deposit.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.

Masking or painters tape

Easy-remove wall tape is a must for any sort of home project. Use it to mark where you want your prints to be hung instead of marking the wall with a pencil. And if you're planning a sort of wall of photos moment, this tape is great for creating a whole visual of where you want every frame. You can make an outline of what your gallery wall will look like with the tape, and then easily remove it all as you start hanging. This set comes with six rolls of tape in the colors shown.

$7.99 at Amazon (originally $15.99)

A tape measure

If you don't already have one, consider this your sign to grab a retractable tape measure for your home. You'll need it to measure how high you want your photos from the ground and also where to put the nail in relation to your frame's back wire or hook. This tape extends to 12 feet.

$5.86 at Amazon

A hammer

No home is complete without a hammer (or two). Use it to secure nails and fasteners for lighter pieces of art and to tap in wall anchors before drilling for heavier ones. This hammer has 4,598 positive reviews and is only about a foot long, so it can easily be stored.

$9.99 at Amazon (originally $16.66)

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A level

Perfectionists unite! This level will ensure everything you hang is evenly positioned.

$5.50 at Amazon

Amazon

A picture hanging kit

If your frame doesn't have any hooks or wire on the back, you’ll have to add them yourself. It's really not as hard as it sounds, and is even easier with this kit that contains everything you need, even a mini screwdriver. (If your frame has D-rings attached already, but you still need hanging material, you can also buy just the wire.)

Kit: $9.97 at Amazon Wire only: $3.18 at Amazon

Wall bumpers

These are certainly not a necessity, but if you're a total neat freak or just want to protect your walls, stick these little bumpers on the four corners of the back of your frame so it can't scratch or bump into the wall.

$3.96 at Amazon (originally $4.99)

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A nail and hook kit

If you're hanging small frames, light pieces of art, cute little signs, dried flowers, twinkle lights or otherwise non-heavy items, this is your kit. It comes with over 200 items including small nails, hangers, hooks and fasteners.

$7.99 at Amazon (originally $10.99)

A light-duty drill set

Seriously, you need a drill set. This is a cordless option made for light home improvement projects that comes with a bunch of goodies for wall hanging, like drill bits, fastening bits, a magnetic bit holder, a level and some screws with anchors.

$36.26 at Amazon (originally $44.99)

Or a heavy-duty one for unusual walls

For drilling into concrete, metal, tile or heavier material, you're probably going to want or need to spring for something that packs a punch, like this hammer drill with a safety clutch. It can chisel away at stone and do wood working projects, in addition to letting you hang art on hard, solid walls.

$119.99 at Amazon (originally $159.99)

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An anchor installation kit for concrete, brick and other material

If you are drilling into tile, ceramic, concrete, brick and/or cinder blocks, you're also going to want this kit with specialized drill bits to put into your drill. This assortment comes with 106 pieces, along with different anchors and screws for different materials.

$14.99 at Amazon

A stud finder

When drilling really heavy things, you're going to want a stud finder. It's a cool gadget that shows you where the studs (i.e. wooden slats in your wall) are, so you can ensure you're drilling into a stable surface and not just drywall. In the early stages of decorating or re-decorating, it can helpful to know where the studs are.

$10.98 at Amazon

Self-drilling anchors for drywall

If you're hanging sturdy framed pieces, you're going to want to anchor them into the wall. To save time and drill-power, opt for self-drilling drywall anchors. With these, you simply drill the screw, embedded in the anchor, right into the wall.

$10.99 at Amazon

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Before You Go

Everything You Need To Hang A Kitchen Peg Board

A colorful metal pegboard with 1/4 inch holes(01 of05)

Here she is, in all her glory. This is the exact pegboard I have (mine is the green board with blue hooks, but I didn't like the metal hooks that came with it and got different plastic ones, listed below). This is a 14-pound metal pegboard that will hold all your kitchen needs. It has a magnetic powder-coated finish so it won't get rusty or moldy, and it comes with two 16-by-32-inch panels which you can choose to hang together (making a 32-by-32-inch square) or separately, as well as vertically or horizontally. It has 1/4-inch-wide holes and slots, all an inch apart, which you can utilize however you want. It comes with tools for mounting, but because my apartment is drywall, I got special heavy-duty screws and wall anchors, listed below.

This comes in nine colors: black, blue, green, matte gray, metallic silver, silver, red, yellow, orange and white. (credit:Amazon)

Heavy duty drywall anchors(02 of05)

If your place is drywalled like mine, you're going to need to anchor the board into the wall, which is way less scary than it sounds! These anchors hold up to 75 pounds, which is perfect for the 14-pound metal pegboard plus pots and pans. For the pegboard listed here, you need at least 12 screws and anchors, so the 25-pack was perfect for me to have extras. I've used them to hang other shelves in my apartment. (credit:Amazon)

A user-friendly cordless drill with the basic accessories(03 of05)

If you're not a professional carpenter and you're just trying to hang a kitchen peg board in peace, a basic cordless drill set like this is perfect. It's small enough that you can stash it away in a drawer or closet, but it's not too dinky, so it will work all around your house.

This comes with a USB charger, 10 different drill bits, 10 drivers, a level measure and 10 screws and anchors (though you shouldn't use these for the pegboard, but rather the heavy-duty anchors listed above). (credit:Amazon)

A mix of "L" and "J"-shaped 1/4-inch hooks(04 of05)

Your pegboard's magic derives from how personalized it can be. While the pegboard above comes with some metal accessories, I found that this collection of L- and J-shaped plastic hooks work better for my needs. I use the L-shaped hooks to hang larger pots and pans and the J hooks for things with smaller handles or hoops, like my colander and oven mitts. I got this pack because it came in the smallest amount I could find, which is still a quantity of 50. These are 1/4-inch wide, so they work with the pegboard listed above, but make sure to check the size if you're getting other accessories. They come in black and white. (credit:Amazon)

A basket with a paper towel holder(05 of05)

I thought I knew how much and I loved my pegboard, and then I got this spice rack/paper towel holder to hang on it. This basket has been the best addition to my kitchen overall. It lets me store my most-used spices right near my stove, and keeps the paper towels at a perfect horizontal level that's easy to use. This works for a 1/4-inch pegboard like the one listed here. There's a ton of different basket styles available from this seller, but I love the 15.25-by11.5-inch basket with the towel bar. (credit:Amazon)

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