Hanging a Picture Grouping (without making unnecessary holes in the wall)

Our plaster walls make me nervous to nail anything in our walls.But I finally got some guts and here's how

-Decide on your theme, get your frames all set. I wanted to do a grouping of photos from our wedding. I used the free photos that came with our wedding package and some frames I’ve picked up. The two on the outside were from Good will, $2.99 each, matting was $2 each on clearance from Walmart. The frames were a medium honey wood and I sprayed them with ORB. The two frames on the inside I got for a dollar each from a garage sale last summer.
-Put your baby in her saucer so that she won’t get into the wrapping paper and tear it to shreds.

-Put pictures on your wrapping paper. Measure the spacing in between pictures to make sure they’re all nice and centered. Use a level to make sure the pictures will be straight.

-When you have everything placed just how you want them, trace around them onto the paper.

-Once you’re done, flip the picture over so that you can see where the nail will need to go. Measure how far down your nail needs to be (a half an inch down) and mark a horizontal line onto the wrapping paper that same distance from the line.

-Mark a vertical line onto the frame that passes through where the nail will go into the bracket. Use your ruler to make a corresponding vertical line onto the wrapping paper.

-This intersection will be where your nail will go to hang this picture. Not a perfect pic or perfect lines, but whatev.

-Repeat for the rest of your pictures until you have an spot for a nail for each picture. Hang the wrapping paper onto your wall using painters’ tape (or other tape that won’t peel off your paint). Measure where exactly you want the pictures to hang in relation to the wall. Use a level on the traced pictures, not the wrapping paper, to make sure they are level.

-Use enough tape, otherwise you will get VERY mad when your paper falls down after you measured and leveled it carefully to your heart’s desire.

like so…

-Using your paper and marks as a guideline, nail holes into the intersections. Don’t use a Cubs hammer because it makes your nails all messed up (not really, but no one should have a Cubs hammer in the first place!). Repeat for all pictures.

-Take down your wrapping paper and your nails will be where you need them. Unless you reaaaally like the look, then feel free to leave your wrapping paper up!