Tomorrow I'll be attaching hardware and hanging paintings so I'll start with something on my wish list. The Makita LXFD01CW cordless drill (buy one!). There are a few similar models as well. I have a couple drills. One with a cord and one without. They're OK... but the Makita is dreamy! It's perfect for a small person. It doesn't weigh a ton and it is Super Power. Gotta have one.
Once you have one of those drills in hand, you'll want to screw everything. So while we're on the subject (picture hanging not screwing), forget the silly old screw eyes. I recommend some good D-rings. Best to get the ones with two holes. You want them to stay upright. Not sideways. It seems silly for light weight art but if you want to be proper, that's the way to do it. Unfortunately not all packages of D-rings come with screws. I find 6x1/2" screws are what I reach for the most but you should use the longest screw possible that won't poke through your frame. And I like the pan heads or round heads...they just look nice even though they don't really need to. Put the rings on about 1/3 of the way down. Next you'll need some good picture wire (buy). Don't be tempted to waste money on those stupid little hanging kits at the everything-you-don't-need-to-do-it-yourself-center. Unless it's the last minute and you can't wait for an overnight package, it's a horrible ripoff. There's also the temptation to buy wire that isn't braided. It might hold up for a while but it'll break soon. It'll also hurt your fingers a lot more. The coated stuff isn't necessary but it's nice. If you get a big roll of heavy duty wire you can use it on everything. Loop it through the D-ring twice and wrap the short end tight around the other. Pull the wire tight as you can and fasten on to the other D same as the first. All done! Now you can screw another one.
Buy Wire, D-rings, Level, Screws, Anchors, Drill, Drill Bits, Screw Bits
