How To Hang Posters Without Poster Tack

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Do you have kids who LOVE to display all their artwork up on their bedroom walls? Or maybe tweens or teens who want to hang their favourite posters on their walls?

The usual solution is a mounting adhesive like Blu-Tack or Sticky Tack.

However as I found out recently, when working on my daughter’s bedroom makeover, the remnants of Blu-Tack are a PAIN to remove when the walls need re-painting. Especially if it is left on the walls for years.

It was only after hours of prep work, the bedroom walls were finally ready to paint. Never again, I mutter to myself!

No More Poster Tack!

That’s it, no more Blu-Tack or Sticky Tack or any tack!!

There had to be a better way for 10 year old Miss K to display her favorite posters on her bedroom walls.

This is what I came with up instead. It is a brilliant way to hang kids’ posters or artwork WITHOUT using mounting adhesive!

Step 1. – Find A Large Picture Frame

My non Blu-Tack solution to hang kids’ posters was to upcycle an old picture frame into a chic framed pin up type board. I had one I had picked up off kerbside and was sitting in the shed waiting to be turned into something useful.

If you are not familiar with the practice of “kerbsiding”, it refers to browsing the bulk collections of junk, people put out the front of their house once a year as part of their local rubbish collection service.

So this picture frame was originally an old framed Elvis poster someone had decided to chuck out. I ripped out the poster as soon as I picked it up. It was already torn.

Large frames can also be sourced cheaply from your local thrift store or op shop. You could also use an old framed artwork or a large canvas, a piece of ply wood or MDF for this project.

If you wanted to be really creative you could try using a window frame or framed mirror. Really anything that can be hang up on the wall and have some rope attached to the back of the frame.

Step 2. The Magic Ingredient: Paint!

As I knew the posters could be bright in colour, I chose to paint the frame and backing in neutral colours. I painted the dark wood frame with the same paint I was using on the skirting boards and window sill in Miss K’s bedroom. The paint I used was British Paint’s Enamel Oil Paint in Gloss Antique White.

The backing of this frame was a thin piece of particle board, which I sealed with Zinseer oil based primer. Then it got 2 coats of Old White Annie Sloan chalk paint. I love how the AS chalk paint gives it a lot of texture!

I deliberately painted in a criss-cross fashion because I wanted it to have some depth. If the surface of your piece is not perfect, all the better for adding texture and interest to it.

I also like the contrast between the two different whites I used – one was a bit more creamer than the other. I didn’t use a sealer on the chalk paint as I knew it was going to be covered with posters most of the time.

NB: Particle board is porous to water. If you use an water based paint straight on it, it soaks the paint up. So I prefer to use an oil based primer which seals the surface. Then use a water based chalk paint for the top coats.

Step 3. Hanging

When the paint had well and truly dried, I used a cordless drill to drill holes to thread my rope through. There were 6 holes in total, one at each end because of the size of the frame. The idea was to have 3 horizontal lines so Miss K could have a bit of versatility with how she hung her posters up.

I then threaded about 2 metres of rope through the end holes, tied it off and stapled it to the back of the frame.

The rope cost me about $2.50 from Bunnings and I went with one that I knew my cute wooden pegs would fit.

Avoid getting rope that’s too thick for the pegs and too thin that it won’t hold the weight of the pegs and posters without a lot of sagging.

I found the mini wooden pegs in the scrapbooking section of my local Kmart store.

Here are some similar ones from Etsy:

30 Heart Mini Pegs 30 Mini Clothes Pegs 45 White Mini Pegs 50 Natural Wooden Pegs

Hang Kids Posters On Painted Walls

I was really pleased with how this “save the wall from poster tack” DIY project turned out.

It actually has a big visual impact in this tween girl’s bedroom and provides a container for her favourite posters. Find out more about why I love the container concept.

Plus, it will be SO much easier to repaint the walls next time!

Note: If you are renting, you may not have the option of hanging frames on the wall. An easy alternative is to rest your painted frame against the wall on top of drawers, a dresser or desk.

Bonus – DIY Fabric Bulletin Board

I also created this additional pin up board for Miss K to hang smaller pictures on.

Would you believe, it’s actually constructed from a piece of packing foam from the delivery of our new stove, some left over painters drop cloth and a $5 Kmart canvas picture.

Decorative Alternative to Thumbtacks

The pins are actually cute, gold heart brads I found at a local scrapbooking shop. Yes they are meant for scrapbooking, not using as a thumbtack for posters. But they work great on the soft foam board. I reckon a lot safer with kids!