Life Hack: Use Toothpaste to Hang a Picture Frame Perfectly!

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hand holding a toothpaste screwdriver and screw for how to hang a picture hack

Nailed it!

Do you know how to hang a picture frame perfectly? With this easy & cheap life hack you’ll be using toothpaste (yes, toothpaste) to making hanging picture frames in the ideal place so simple! You’re going to be a professional at getting it right on the spot… the first time.

No more guesswork. No more extra holes in the wall.

And an even more gorgeous home than when you started, so keep reading to find out how to do this simple little trick!


woman holding toothpaste smiling being hanging picture

As I’m sure you’ve noticed lately, TikTok has been a great place to find some of the best Starbucks secret menu drinks, but what you might not know is that TikTok is also a great place to find incredibly easy hacks for you home.

Thanks to one TikTok user, we discovered an interior designer’s insider trick on how to hang a perfect picture in seconds! 🙌

…And all you need is toothpaste. 😱


I even created a video to show how simple this toothpaste hack makes the process of hanging pictures –

Can’t see the video above? Check out the tutorial on YouTube!


hand holding a tube of toothpaste for how to hang a picture hack

For this hack to hang picture frames, you first want to establish an idea of where you want to hang your picture or artwork. Then grab your framed picture and turn it over, find the bracket you’re going to use to hang your photo, then squeeze a dab of toothpaste in the middle.

woman hanging picture on wall

Carefully hold your picture in the spot where you want to hang it. As a tip, you could even ask another person to stand behind you so they can let you know when the picture looks perfect from their perspective.

Once you have the perfect spot eyed up, press your picture against the wall. When you remove the picture you’ll have toothpaste in exactly the spot you need to put your screw or nail to hang your picture! 👏

screw with toothpaste on wall for hanging a picture

Screw or nail in your hardware, then wipe away the toothpaste. (Don’t forget to wipe the back of your picture too!). 🤗

Better yet, you could even consider using Gorilla or Monkey hooks to hang your frames without any tools! So not only do you have a foolproof way to hang the perfect picture, but now you have the easiest hardware to hang them too!

It’s a win, win!

gallery photo wall in living room with dog sitting on couch

Keep this picture hanging toothpaste hack in mind when you are creating a photo gallery wall, too!


hand holding a tube of toms toothpaste in front of hanging picture

Hanging picture frames has never been easier!

Now, step back, enjoy your new picture… and maybe buy some stock in toothpaste, because people are going to clean the shelves when they see this easy hack. 😉


Check out more easy home DIYs here!


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger & photographer and brings 9+ years of experience to her craft. Her work has been featured in numerous esteemed publications, spanning building, travel, and fashion. Beyond her creative pursuits, Sara’s primary mission is to empower others to embrace a toxic-free & sustainable lifestyle.


Join The Discussion

Comments 31

  1. Mothball

    Love this! Thanks for sharing…I might be the last person who does NOT have TikTok…so you all are my source of info from that world! Ha! Thanks again!

    • Da1mommi

      Me too Mothball 😁

    • Shelly

      Me three 😉

    • Heather

      Me four, no interest in that app 🙂

    • Gina

      I don’t even have Facebook lol.

    • Jo

      Same here. Never have any social media apps whatsoever. Have better things to do. But I do have Hip2Save app 🙂

      • Cherryluva

        Well, I have Facebook AND tik tok. Found over half half of my wedding decor on FB and tons of cleaning and cooking videos on tik tok, so speak for yourself lady.

        • Melody24

          I think she was speaking for herself. She said she has better things to do. I found it’s a giant time waster without realizing it, but to each his/her own! 🙂

    • DeborahMc

      Me five, lol. I don’t know how to use twitter either. I have Facebook but rarely post and honestly don’t know much about it, lol. It just seems like too many headaches with those websites so I appreciate you sharing it here. Thank you 😊

    • Sara

      If it makes you feel any better, I also don’t have it, Mothball! Haha!

  2. rebeccamartell

    Such a cool idea!

    • Sara

      Thanks so much, rebeccamartell! Glad you found this useful!

  3. Denise

    🤦🏻‍♀️ So clever!!! Thanks for sharing!

    • Sara

      You’re so welcome, Denise!

  4. Donnarn67

    You’re in good company mothball

  5. Lisa

    I’m glad this is found to work for people. I’ve been trying to hold my tongue (sorry), but this would definitely not work in my household! We’ve gotta have things covered and aligned, breaking out that measuring tape, do the math, all that stuff. Throwing it up on the wall and essentially eyeballing it would never work. Again, happy for those that this works out. Thank you for the entertaining post.

    • nikki

      Agreed!

    • DealAddict

      I agree. I need to measure, center & level.

    • MommySpendsLess

      I would possibly use this if I were hanging a single frame or an organic gallery wall but otherwise I agree. We got a new sectional so I hung seven frames in a symmetrical grouping yesterday. I literally drew a diagram with measurements for six of the frames, all based on the largest center frame. After I hung the middle frame, it was X” right, Y” up – hook, X” right, Z” down – hook, etc. using a level to make sure my marks and measurements were perfectly straight. (My Christmas present to myself may be one of those super long levels LOL) In the long run it’s worth it for me because I know I’d see the one that was 0.5″ off and it would drive me bonkers 🙂

      • Sara

        I would agree, this hack wouldn’t be necessarily ideal if a picture needed to be leveled out and had more than one screw to hang it. Luckily, the picture I was hanging only had one screw on a bare wall so this was an easy peasy hack for my frame. 😊

  6. Breadandglitter LC

    Sorry, am I the only one who could only think about how this is really expensive toothpaste to be doing this with the whole time? Might want to just wait for a coupon for another brand and it’s free LOL

    • kassi

      No joke! Thought the same thing! I’d probably just go to the dollar tree first 🤣

    • Sara

      Haha free toothpaste is obviously the hippest way to do this trick, but this is what I had on hand and you use a very minimal amount so for me it worked. If you try it out, let us know how it goes! 🤗

  7. Christin

    But what do you do with that dried up tooth paste 😱 I prefer this little nifty tool, probably not as cheap as toothpaste but worth every penny and should be in everyone’s toolbox. Hang It Perfect Picture Hanging… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087PL4YPZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

    • marie

      No dried toothpaste! You wipe it off once you get your nail in the wall

    • Kay

      Thanks for sharing. I’m so intimidated to do my gallery wall, I’ve been putting it off. I’m gonna check out ur recommendation.

  8. Mommaof8

    You could also just use your kids Crayola washable marker. Make a colored in dot on the middle of the picture frame’s bracket and then when the frame is lined up in the correct spot press the bracket against the wall to leave a mark. Hammer nail into the colored mark on the wall.

    • Sara

      Great tip, Mommaof8. Thanks!

  9. Bunny919

    Funny, we always used toothpaste to plug the holes, not make them. 😉

    • Sara

      Thanks for the idea, Bunny!

  10. Larry gilderman

    Great sight

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