This Hack Makes It Super Easy to Hang a Picture—and All You Need Is a Fork

There are a lot of steps that go into hanging up a picture perfectly on the wall. First, there’s the measuring; you have to make sure the frames are level and even, and that there is an aesthetically pleasing distance between each frame so the wall doesn’t look cluttered and busy.

Next, there’s hammering the nail into the wall to ensure the frame is hung in the exact place you want it to be. Then, last but not least, there’s actually hanging up that frame—which we know is no easy feat. How do you hang up a frame when you can’t see the nail as you do it? What if the back of the frame doesn’t catch on the artwork and it drops to the floor and shatters everywhere?

Don’t worry—this tragedy can easily be avoided thanks to a brilliant trick we just came across on TikTok. All it takes is a fork.

How Do You Hang a Picture with a Fork?

The video, posted by @tabithablue on TikTok, shows how you can easily hang a picture by using a sturdy fork. With this simple hack, you’ll be able to always hang your items perfectly the first time!

@tabitha.blue Hanging pictures the easy way!!! 🫶🏼 Once you’ve got that nail in the wall… are you like me and usually scrape the picture against the wall about 20 times until it catches?? 🤪😭 We are slowly putting together a couple more gallery walls in our home (and finally printing more pictures 🙌🏻🙌🏻, and using this fork hack to catch the wire has been SO helpful!!! Ps. If your frame doesn’t have wire, you can easily add it — makes hanging frames, adjusting frames, and switching out art so much easier for me. #howtohangart #howtohangapicture #h#hangingarth#hangingphotosh#hangingframediymoms #g#gallerywalldiygallerywall #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – TabithaBlue

Here’s how you do it: Simply slide the prongs of the fork onto the nail so the front of the fork is facing you, but upside down.

Take your frame and slide the back wire over the handle of the fork on the wall. Slide it carefully down the fork until the frame reaches the nail, securing it into place.

That’s it! Remove the fork carefully and your frame is perfectly positioned without you having to break a sweat—or shatter your precious picture frame all over the ground.

Other Tips for Hanging a Picture

While this genius trick will ensure you won’t have any trouble hanging your frames, there are other hanging hacks that’ll ensure your walls are picture-perfect every time.

• Use thumbtacks to find the perfect spot for your nail: You don’t have to estimate the perfect spot for that nail—use thumbtacks instead! Figure out where the nail needs to go on the frame, then map out where the nail would need to go on the wall using a thumbtack. Once you found the perfect spot, pop that thumbtack into the wall to make a small hole so you have a direct spot for where that nail should go once you have a hammer.
• Try toothpaste: Not sure where that nail needs to go? Slather on a thin line of toothpaste on your frame, then place it on your desired spot on the wall. This allows you to know exactly where that nail needs to go.
• Use mounting putty: When it’s time to hang the picture frame, if you want to make sure that the frame won’t fall during the process, try using mounting putty at the bottom back two corners of your artwork. This helps keep the frame in place once it’s mounted to the wall so you don’t have to worry about it sliding to the floor.