How to hang heavy things on wall without nails

Q: How do you hang a heavy picture without a stud?

If you cant find a stud or the stud is not in a location where you want your picture to hang, you can use a drywall anchor to secure your picture or artwork from the wall. These come in various packages and sizes. We really like using self-drilling plastic drywall anchors along with properly-sized screws.

Although nails are an effective way to hang heavy objects onto plaster walls, they leave behind a trail of annoying holes to patch up. Whether you live in a rented place or just want to avoid the hassle of drilling into your walls, don’t worry! There are many stress-free on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails.

In this post, I’ve listed several excellent products that will allow you to easily hang up your decorations, picture frames, posters, hats and more! Let’s get started!

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How To Hang Things On Plaster Walls Without Nails

Double Sided Heavy Duty Tape $14.99 $12.99*
Command Small Wire Hooks $9.99*
Adhesive Wooden Hanger Hooks $12.99*
Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape $11.49*
Black Gold Foil Washi Tape Set $9.49*
Heavy Duty Velcro Tape $9.99*
Adhesive Putty $8.68 $2.29*
Command Picture Hanging Strips Bundle $22.98 $20.76*

(*Price on day of publishing)

1. Double Sided Heavy Duty Tape

$14.99 $12.99*

View on Amazon

(*Price on day of publishing)

Size: 16.5 Feet Of Tape (comes in other lengths)

If you want a solution that will firmly secure your stuff onto plaster walls without damage, I highly recommend this product. This double sided heavy duty tape is STRONG. In fact, you might end up using more tape than you need!

This tape also works well on most flat surfaces (metal, glass, plastic, wood, etc.). Since this product is also easy to remove and use, this tape is excellent for renters or for temporary wall displays. When removed, this double sided tape will not damage plaster walls or surfaces, and leaves behind no residue.

Did you know that this tape is reusable? Simply wash it in water and let it dry! It regains its stickiness when the dirt and dust is cleaned off of it! This tape can also easily be adjusted and cut to any size or length needed.

For people looking for a simple solution on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails, I recommend this tape!

2. Command Small Wire Hooks

$9.99*

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(*Price on day of publishing)

Quantity: 16 Hooks (comes in other quantities/colors)

If you are looking for a quality product to hang small items onto plaster walls (like keys, etc.), check out these Command small wall hooks. What I love about Command products is the residue-free removal! Their brand has a range of excellent products to keep your plaster walls damage-free!

These Command small wall hooks are a great solution to hanging light items without drilling holes into your walls. Unfortunately, these hooks won’t hold up heavy objects. However, they will hold up objects that weight up to half a pound.

The wire hooks themselves have strong metal clips that flare out so you can easily hook something on and off of it. If you are looking for an easy method on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails, I recommend checking out this product.

3. Adhesive Wooden Hanger Hooks

$12.99*

View on Amazon

(*Price on day of publishing)

Quantity: 8 Hanger Hooks (comes in other styles)

This is another adhesive wall hook you have to check out! If you want a hook that can hold up heavy objects (like coats, bags, etc.), I recommend checking out this product! I had to add this product onto the list because of how sturdy but also BEAUTIFUL these hanger hooks are.

These hooks are actually intended for hats, but the pegs are sturdy enough to hold much heavier items like coats. These hooks are easy to install. Unfortunately for renters, these hanger hook are permanent and not intended to be removed. If you do, it might take off paint from your plaster wall! Of course, you can paint over this.

However, for people who don’t want to drill into their walls, this is an excellent product with great quality for the price. These hanger hooks are an excellent way to hang stuff on walls without damage. For best results, when applying, make sure to firmly press and rub out any air pockets from the adhesive pads with your fingers.

4. Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape

$11.49*

View on Amazon

(*Price on day of publishing)

Size: 0.94 Inches x 60 Yards Per Roll (180 Yards Total)

Quantity: 3 Rolls

Painter’s tape is so multifunctional and easy to use. I highly recommend having a roll at home! Painter’s tape sticks onto surfaces well and can be removed without leaving residue behind.

When I was in college, I would use painter’s tape to attach paper, posters, and even a small canvas painting onto my wall! It can hold up items onto plaster walls for a very long time before losing its stickiness. If you are looking for a temporary method to hold up light objects (like posters), I recommend trying out painter’s tape.

Painter’s tape is an effective method on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails. Of course it is not a great solution for heavier objects.

By itself, the tape isn’t pretty. I recommend hiding the tape by making a “two-sided tape” by looping the tape around in a circle. You can attach multiple pieces of these tape loops to back of a poster before firmly pressing the poster onto a wall. This is a cheap idea on how to hang stuff on walls without holes!

5. Black Gold Foil Washi Tape Set

$9.49*

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(*Price on day of publishing)

Quantity: 10 Rolls

Width: 15 Millimeters

Length: 16.4 Feet Each Roll (164 Feet Total)

If you are looking for a more aesthetic way to attach picture prints or posters, I recommend using washi tape over painter’s tape. Like painter’s tape, washi tape removes easily from plaster surfaces without leaving behind any sticky residue.

Pick out a washi tape that has decent stickiness like this black gold foil washi tape set. Some washi tapes peel off of surfaces over time, so get ones that can handle gripping onto plaster walls. I don’t recommend using washi tape for heavy objects for this reason.

Washi tape is an excellent method on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails. It is a pretty way to hang up light decorations. For photos, you can make a beautiful DIY washi tape wall frame by bordering the edge of the photo with tape.

Washi tape is also multifunctional so I recommend having a couple rolls at home. These black gold foil ones are high quality and come in multiple elegant patterns.

6. Heavy Duty Velcro Tape

$9.99*

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(*Price on day of publishing)

Tape Size: 1 x 4 Inches (comes in other sizes)

Quantity: 15 Tapes (comes in other quantities)

Velcro is a secure adhesive “tape” that can be removed and reattached over and over again. Velcro is a popular way to securely fasten objects. You can find velcro in shoes, clothing, and much more.

This heavy duty velcro tape is great hack on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails. You can also easily trim down the tape to the size needed. These velcro tapes have amazing grip and stick well onto plaster walls.

The tapes will work well for small picture frames and medium to light wall art. I don’t recommend this product for heavy objects. For best results, clean off the surface of the object/wall before applying. Velcro tape is a great way to hang up decorations and pictures without drilling nails into your walls.

7. Adhesive Putty

$8.68 $2.29*

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(*Price on day of publishing)

Size: 2 Ounces of Putty (comes in other sizes)

Adhesive putty is another great method on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails. One of the best parts of adhesive putty is that it stays sticky no matter what. You can use this product to attach items on your plaster walls and keep them there forever.

I recommend using this product for posters and other light wall decorations. Note that a little bit of this putty goes a long way. This product has great quality for the price!

Since this putty is incredibly sticky, you might find some residue left over on your wall on removal. Lucky, this is an easy fix! Simply press the leftover putty over the residue to pick it up. Although this does require a bit of clean up, your plaster walls should remain damage-free.

8. Command Picture Hanging Strips Bundle

$22.98 $20.76*

View on Amazon

(*Price on day of publishing)

Quantity: 10 Small Pairs And 8 Medium Pairs

Command strips are one of the best products to hold up heavy picture frames on your plaster walls! This brand has excellent products that will securely hold onto your objects without leaving residual behind.

These Command picture hanging strips bundle comes with 10 small and 8 medium pairs of strips. The small strips can hold up to 4 pounds and the medium ones can hold up to 12 pounds. Like most products, I recommend following the instructions as much as possible to ensure a tight seal.

These Command strips are STRONG. They will also come off the wall without leaving a mark. These are one of the best wall hangers to hang stuff on plaster walls without damage them!

Tips For Using/Buying No Damage Plaster Wall Hangers

In this post, I’ve gathered the best methods on how to hang stuff on plaster walls. To make the most of damage-free wall hangers for your home, make sure to..

1. Follow The Instructions To The T

Some products will have instructions listed on them for application. If they do, be sure to follow them as accurately as possible for best results. Some may ask you to hold firmly onto the adhesive to ensure a tight seal.

2. Clean Walls Before Applying

Since most no-damage wall hangers rely on an adhesive, make sure your plaster walls are clean before applying. Wipe off dust that may have accumulated over time. If your walls are dirty, the dirt can stick onto the adhesive which will lessen how strongly your objects will stick onto your walls.

3. Check The Weight Limit

Some products will have a weight limit stated in their description. Make sure to double check the weight of your photos/decorations before purchasing. You don’t want a fragile object falling off and breaking!

4. Apply On Flat Surfaces If Possible

The type of surface matters! The flat-er the surface, the better the adhesive sticks onto it. Of course, you can’t change how bumpy your walls are. For a better hold, consider using extra product to keep the art hanging on your walls.

5. Check The Removal Process

Not all products have the same removal process. Some of them are easy and breezy, and require no clean up. Others many leave behind residue on your plaster walls.

Check reviews of products before purchasing to give you an indicator of the removal process. This will save you the headache later if you have to remove the objects from your walls quickly.

6. Just Because There’s No Nails Doesn’t Mean There’s No Damage

Many adhesive wall hangers help you avoid drilling holes into your walls. However not all adhesives come cleanly off the wall. Depending on how sticky the wall hangers are, they might even take off chunks of paint off your plaster walls!

Never buy permanent wall hangers if you intend to remove them in the future!

7. Read Reviews Before You Buy

Although some products may claim to have “clean-free removal” or “a strong hold”, you’ll only know how good the product is until you’ve tried it. To save headaches and money, check out how well the product does for other people. Reviews are usually a good indicator of product quality.

Conclusion: How To Hang Things On Plaster Walls Without Nails

Especially for people who are renting, it is important to keep plaster walls damage-free. Of course this doesn’t mean you have to keep your walls bare and boring.

In this post, I’ve listed several ways to hang stuff on walls without damaging them. It is entirely possible to hang light or heavy objects onto walls without leaving behind a trail of holes!

Although nails are probably one of the most secure ways to hang items on walls, some of the products above come close. Thanks to these smart solutions, you can easily hang up your decorations and pictures without taking out the drill! I hope this post gave you some helpful tips on how to hang things on plaster walls without nails!

How do you hang pictures on plaster walls without nails?

The ideal solution for hanging pictures on plaster is to use a picture hanging system like the all-in-one click rail cable hanging kit. This system works by simply installing a rail along the wall, and pictures then hang from cables attached to the rail, and are fastened with hooks.

How do you hang a heavy picture without a stud?

If you can't find a stud or the stud is not in a location where you want your picture to hang, you can use a drywall anchor to secure your picture or artwork from the wall. These come in various packages and sizes. We really like using self-drilling plastic drywall anchors along with properly-sized screws.