Okay, this post on how to hang heavy items might seem like common sense information, but when I found a tutorial a few years ago on this topic, I thought it was really helpful. And I also just used the technique a couple days ago so I’m passing the information along in case it helps you like it did me.
This technique for hanging items is especially helpful when you have to hang something heavy, like a mirror, and only have one set of hands- yours. Or, if you DO have someone around to hold up the item but you just don’t want to deal with telling them to “move it little to the right, okay, now a little to the left, okay, back the right…” With this method, you can eyeball things on your own without the need for another set of hands (or eyeballs)!
How to Hang Heavy Items on Walls
- Gather your Supplies: You’ll need a few paper bags, scissors, Scotch tape, a measuring tape, a Philips head screwdriver, and anchors and screws. You might also need a level if you have 2 anchor points on your wall hanging. I find that these anchors and screws work best for hanging heavy items because they can hold so much weight and you can screw them in with just a simple Philips head screwdriver.
2. Make a template: Cut your paper bags to where they lie flat and tape them together if the item you’re hanging is on the big side.
Trace the item onto the paper bag template and cut out along your line.
Be sure to poke a hole in your template where the hanging brackets are located.
3. Tape the template where you want it go on your wall making sure the holes for the brackets are level. Luckily I just had one hole at the top so I just made sure that the hole on the template was at the apex of where I wanted the mirror to hang.
If you have two hanging points then draw a line between the two points and when you hang the template on the wall, use a level to make sure that the line you drew is in fact level.
Screw in a hanger or anchor in the hole that you made in the template. No need to remove the template when you are screwing in the anchor. You can tear it away after you’ve screwed in the anchor.
4. Pull the template off the wall and you’re done!
Easy-peasy!
