Decorating the Walls in your Home

Hung up on wall decorations? I have some pointers to help you get your picture in the right spot every time!

1. Use a ruler to mark the right hand side of a sticky note in half-inch increments to four inches.

2. Grab your picture, holding your wire taut measure the distance from the wire to the top of the picture.

3. With the ruled side of the note in line with the center and top of the frame, hold your picture up where you want it and stick the note "ruler" to the wall. This way you'll know exactly where the wire sits and where to drive your hanger.

4. If you're worried about stability you may want to hang two hooks a quarter inch out from your mark.

5. If you're hanging a picture on a plaster wall put a small "X" of cellophane tape over the spot you need to drive the nail this will prevent cracking.

6. Also remember protect your walls adhering felt or rubber pads to the back lower corners of your picture where the frame meets the wall.

Grouping Pictures

Grouping pictures together on a wall can really make a statement, but it can be intimidating.

1. Lay a large sheet of paper out on the floor. Play with arranging the pictures on the paper. Remember that the top line of an arrangement should be level to guide the eye in the right direction.

2. When you're finished, trace around each picture frame to make a template.

3. Number each picture with a sticky note and write that number on the template.

4. Remove the pictures. As you do, flip each over and use a ruler to measure how far down you will need the nail and mark that on your template.

5. Attach the template to the wall with some tape, and gently tap an awl at each spot you've marked for your nails.

6. Take down the paper and put in the nails. Then you can hang the pictures according to the numbers on your map.