If you’ve got a tapestry in one hand and you’re staring at a blank wall, hang in there. Literally. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to hang a tapestry. We put together 8 unique solutions to your problem.

You’ll find a style that works for you no matter what restrictions you have in your room. Let’s get started and learn how to hang a tapestry.

1. Use a Curtain Rod

Tapestry Artwork High And Low Designed & Sold By Tordis Kayma

If you’re looking for the easiest way to hang a tapestry without nails, stop scrolling. This is the first technique on the list for people just like you. Grab a curtain rod to get started.

Some tapestry hangings have a special casing that a rod can slide right into. For others, you can quickly DIY a casing with a hot glue gun, staples, a sewing kit, or even duct tape. Fold the top of the tapestry back over itself, making a loop, and fasten it to itself.

From there, just slide in the curtain rod and hang it on the wall.

If you have a curtain rod you want to attach permanently, you can also adhere the tapestry directly to the curtain rod.

2. Create Your Own Dowel Hanging Rod

Tapestry Artwork Through the Trees Designed & Sold By Tordis Kayma

Another way to hang tapestry without nails is with a dowel hanging rod. For a dowel hanging rod, you need a long wooden dowel, some string, and super glue.

Make sure the dowel is long enough and small enough to fit through the length of your tapestry. Simply insert it into the designated casing and adhere the string to both sides. If the tapestry doesn’t have a casing, you can create one using the same steps as you would with a curtain rod. When you’re done, your tapestry should look like there’s an archery bow on the top of it.

Grab the string from the middle and hang it on a clip or a mount on the wall.

3. Try Tacks

Tapestry Artwork Lemonade Designed & Sold By 83 oranges

Using tacks is the quickest way to hang a tapestry. The process is straightforward, just push the tacks through the tapestry and into the wall.

Try to avoid using brightly-colored tacks that distract from the tapestry. The number of tacks you’ll need will depend on the weight and size of your tapestry. 

Start with a few along the top edge of the tapestry and see how it looks. Start by pinning the corners and try a few tacks along the top edge of the tapestry and see how it looks. Add more as you see fit.

4. Use a Poster Hanger

Tapestry Artwork Aussie Animals Designed & Sold By Mel Armstrong

If you have a poster hanger around, you’re just one step away from having beautiful art on display. A poster hanger is a piece of wood with a channel cut along the length of it that you can slide your tapestry into. They’re typically used for high-quality posters, but you can use them for tapestry, too. By driving screws into the wood, you tighten the grip of the wood onto the tapestry. By either driving screws into the wood or using high-strength magnets, you tighten the grip of the wood onto the tapestry. In either option, you don’t damage the tapestry itself. The magnets or screws are used only in the wooden framework of the poster hanger.

The hanger has a string that lets you hang it from the wall. Make sure your tapestry is firmly in the hanger before hanging it up.

5. Drape Over a Frame

Tapestry Artwork Marigold Love Designed & Sold By Esther Fallon Lau

If you have tapestry you’re proud of, it’s about to become a piece of art. Use a standard picture frame to house your tapestry. Insert the tapestry just like it’s a picture, closing the back of the frame and securing it.

Alternatively, you can stretch the tapestry over the front of the frame and around the edges, gluing it to the rear of the frame.

Either way, you’ll use the bracketry that’s built into the frame to hang your tapestry.

6. Use Adhesive Strips

Tapestry Artwork You can do it! Designed & Sold By jackteagle
Image By @4theloveoftoys

Wondering how to hang a tapestry without nails? The answer is adhesive strips. You can use store-bought double-sided adhesive strips or make your own with duct tape. Roll the duct tape over itself with the sticky side out, making a ring that sticks to itself.

If you need help getting rid of adhesive residue later, check out this handy guide on how to remove sticker residue.

Put the strips on the back of the tapestry, close to the corners and edges. Stick it right on the wall and you’re good to go.

7. Mount on a Board

Tapestry Artwork Crassula Group Designed & Sold By Cassia Beck

To save your walls and add another level to the design, you can use a board. This is a non-invasive way to hang up a tapestry. This could apply to a corkboard, a home-made board, or any plank that has a design that pairs well with your tapestry.

This board is going to act as the sacrificial piece. Rather than driving nails or using tape on your wall, you’ll use them on the board. Mount the tapestry to the board then mount the board to the wall. Mount the tapestry to the board by driving nails through the tapestry and into the board. You can also use tape to adhere the tapestry to the board.

Then, mount the board to your wall any way you want to. This could mean using nails, screws, adhesive strips, or any other method you want to use.

8. Hang from the Ceiling

Tapestry Artwork High And Low Designed & Sold By Tordis Kayma
Image By @jaglever

Hanging tapestry from the ceiling is a unique way to showcase your art. A lot of dorm room tapestry can be hung from the ceiling to give wall-to-ceiling coverage. It makes for a perfect place for photos and it actually makes the room look taller.

Pin the top corners of the tapestry to the ceiling or the upper part of your wall. Use pins along the top edge to secure it in place. Use pins along the sides, working from the top to the bottom. Don’t forget to pin the bottom edge as well, so your tapestry doesn’t look wavy in pictures.

How to Hang Up a Tapestry Like a Pro

When it comes to how to hang up a tapestry, you’re a pro now. There should have been at least one technique on this list that will save you. You don’t have to suffer from blank walls anymore.

Need a little bit of inspiration for your wall decor? Browse the selection of tapestry artwork by independent artists on Redbubble and get some unique wall art ideas for your room. Now that you know how to hang a tapestry, your room will have an aesthetic you’re proud of in no time.

Header image Abstract Branches Designed By JuliaBadeeva