How to Display Unframed Drawings on a Wall

Binder clips, hung from nails or clothesline, serve as creative drawing hangers.


When a drawing is in its own frame, hanging it on the wall is a fairly simple undertaking -- just find a nail and or two and hang the frame. Without a frame, however, hanging a drawing takes a bit more thought; otherwise, it will have that "child's art on the refrigerator" look, taped in place and with no sense of permanence. Hanging all the pieces in similar fashion gives the unframed art a more intentional and cohesive appearance.

Pin Ups

Clothespins and twine, clothesline or decorative roping all create a homey makeshift display reminiscent of hanging clothes out to dry. Add a bit of humor by including a drawing of an actual piece of clothing hanging from clothespins. To create the display, string your twine or cording of choice along a wall, tacking it in several places as you go or tying it around existing nails. Old-fashioned plain-wood clothespins give the art display a retro look, or use colorful pins to add a splash of vibrancy, effectively making the pins part of the art display. Binder clips can be used in the same fashion or hung directly from nails without clothesline.

Magnetic Personality

Magnets aren't just for displaying art on refrigerators -- they can be used for creative display of drawings on regular walls. Magnetic paint or primer, with regular latex paint atop it, is one way to create either an entire art wall or a magnetic band along the wall specifically for hanging art in one area. Standard magnets hold the paper to the wall; opt for colorful or unusual magnets in geometric shapes for added interest. Instead of magnetic paint or primer, magnetic utensil strips designed to hold knifes and other kitchen utensils can be installed horizontally wherever you like, creating a changeable art display area.


Archival mounting corners, used to secure photographs in albums or save items in scrapbooks, are another means of hanging unframed drawings. These triangular corners have an adhesive on the back that sticks to the wall. One mounting corner goes on the wall at each corner of the drawing paper. If you frequently use the same size drawing paper, you'll be able to swap out the art, simply squeezing it a bit to slide it out of the mounting corners.

Wishy Washi

Washi tape, a decorative tape similar in width to gift-wrapping tape, adds a bit of color or design to the edges of the drawing paper when used to secure drawings to the wall. Several patterns of washi tape extended beyond the edges of the paper create a decorative frame of sorts, flush with the wall surface. The tape also can be used to spell out a word on the wall, such as the artist's name or a theme for the art display.

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