How to Hang Unframed Paintings

Canvas stretcher bars support unframed canvas paintings.

Not all paintings are meant to be framed. If you are an artist or have purchased art from local artisans, there's a good chance you'll come across a painting done on a stretched canvas, complete with the sides painted. These canvas paintings are wrapped around wooden stretcher bars -- essentially making a frame on the inside, visible only from the back. These types of canvases can be made hang-worthy with screw eyes and picture wire.

Things You'll Need

• Towel
• 2 small screw eyes
• Drill with narrow bit
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Picture wire
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Set a towel on your work surface to protect the painting.

2. Place the painting face down on the towel, with the top of the painting farthest away from you.

3. Push and twist the small screw eye into the left stretcher bar about 1/4 of the way down from the top. Do this on the inside of the stretcher bar so the screw eye loop points towards the inside of the frame made by the stretcher bars, not sticking out from the back. If the screw eye is difficult to insert by hand, drill a tiny pilot hole using a drill and narrow drill bit. Turn the eye in place until it is fully secure.

4. Measure the distance from the top of the painting to the screw eye using a tape measure. Move the tape measure over to the right stretcher bar and make a pencil mark on the bar at the same point measured on the left side; if you measured the left side at six inches, mark the right side at six inches.

5. Press and turn the remaining screw eye into the right stretcher bar at the marked position, twisting it until it is tight and secure.

6. Unroll some of the picture wire until you have a straight piece eight inches or so longer than the width of the painting. Cut the wire at this length using scissors.

7. Insert one end of the picture wire into the left screw eye, pushing two to three inches of the wire through. Loop it through one more time, tightly, then twist the wire around itself to secure the end.

8. Pull the wire across the back of the painting, looping it through the right screw eye. Pull until the wire is nearly taught, with just a slight amount of give or play in the wire. Twist the end of the wire around the remaining wire until the wire is secure.

9. Hang the painting so the wire in back hangs on a nail in a wall, or two evenly-spaced nails if the painting is large.

Tips & Warnings

• If the painting is tiny and lightweight, wires aren't needed; you can simply push two push pins into the wall and hang the top stretcher bar of the painting on it.

• Visit a framing shop or hardware store. Many have different types of picture hooks, such as a J-shaped hook which will allow you to hang a painting with or without picture wire. Picture hooks replace nails for paintings which are not heavy.

• If the painting is large, use medium-sized screw eyes.

• Use care when hanging a painting. If the painting is heavy, insert wall anchors into the wall where the nail holes will be; otherwise the painting may fall and could damage the wall area around the nail holes.

References

• Biddingtons: Advice on Hanging and Exhibiting Paintings in Your Home

Resources

• Big Prints: How to Hang Your Photo on Canvas