How to Hang Pictures
 If you're working with a large wall and have the floor space, make some decisions by arranging the artwork on the floor first. You can also measure how far they need to be from one another. Then take one at a time and put them up on the wall.
If you have little children or dogs or some other reason you can't put artwork on the floor, make a template of each piece you'd like to hang. Just trace around the outside of the frame on kraft paper, cut out the shape, and label it so you'll remember which piece it represents. Also draw an arrow on it so you know whether the art is vertical or horizontal. Secure the templates to the wall with a product known as reusable adhesive, which looks a bit like putty or chewing gum. It won't tear pieces from your wall or the paper patterns.
Consider grouping four small same-size pictures together in a four-square, to give the illusion of a larger picture.
 You don't always have to have four in a group. Consider using a larger picture in the center. Then place two smaller pictures on either side of the large picture, spaced vertically to about equal the length of the larger frame. Or, in place of the larger picture, use a large mirror.
Not all of your frames will always be matching sizes, so approximate and just try to balance the impact of the frames -- not match them perfectly.
Always hang pictures at eye level.
 If you're hanging a picture over a sofa, you shouldn't leave a lot of wall space between sofa and picture. Try for three to six inches. If you go any higher, the viewer's eye will just go to the wall, not the picture.
Don't put one little picture on a large wall. It looks ridiculous. If you don't have enough artwork to fill up more space on a large wall, consider putting mirrors or a shadowbox in the grouping.
Conversely, don't overload a small wall with a large picture.
Consider resting pictures on shelving hammered directly on to a wall. Or display them on a plate rack in place of plates.
Nor do pictures always need to be on a wall. Consider a bamboo easel if you have an Asian-inspired decor going. There are also wrought-iron or wood easels available, so choose one that complements the look of your home.
There are lots of ways to enhance how you display your pictures with picture nails and various knobs.
As for physically hanging the pictures on the wall, look for a picture-hanging kit at the hardware or home store. It will include everything you need. And keep in mind, the picture's weight will determine what size hook you'll need to use. For a very large picture, you'll need two hooks.
Also consider the many decorative eye screws available for hanging pictures. You screw them to the top of the frame and then dangle the frame from a wire attached to a screw in the wall. Instead of wire, consider using decorative French ribbon to hang the frame from the wall.
If you have two pictures that are too small for the space, hang them side by side and complete the look with an inexpensive basket. Choose a long, slender basket and fill it with three small potted plants. Fill in empty areas with sphagnum moss. Weave short lengths of wire through the basket to serve as hooks, and hang on the wall under the two pictures.
One rule of decorating is to use odd numbers of objects whenever possible (the only even number that you should use is two). Four pictures could be grouped in pairs in a staggered arrangement, and other items, such as a plaque with pegs for hanging keys, could be used to fill in the spaces. On one of the pegs you could hang a small wreath, which would add still more texture and interest.
Look for unusual items, such as napkin holders, that can be hung on the wall to balance a grouping of pictures. Simple saw-toothed hangers can easily be added to the back of each one.
Nail holes left in a wall can be filled in with plain white toothpaste (not the gel kind). It doesn't sink into the holes the way spackling compound often does.
Interior designers avoid picture-hanging mistakes by tracing around pictures and making paper templates. Draw a vertical arrow on each template to show which end should be up, and put a small piece of poster tape on the back of each (don't use masking tape; it will pull the paint off your walls). You can work out your arrangement without making unnecessary holes in the wall.
 Don't hang pictures in a straight line. It lacks interest, and it's difficult to get them even. It's better to stagger the arrangement. To determine where to place staggered pictures, visually draw a center line on one picture; then hang the second a bit above or below this line.
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