Masonite Panel Hanging Tutorial

I spent a good part of the last few days getting some work matted, framed, and packed for a show that I'm a part of next month (more on that later).  I figured I would share with you the way that I hang my masonite panel paintings.  I wanted them to float off the wall while also being stable, and easy to hang.  I've used this method for both small and large panels, and it seems to work wonderfully.
So here is my panel:
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It is about 1/8" thick, so most traditional ways of hanging panels are ruled out.
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Here are the supplies you'll need (plus glue!)
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*please note, the phrase 'baby saw' is referring to the size of the saw, not the intended use.
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You should be able to screw the screw eyes in with your hands, no special tools needed.  Then simply glue it to the back of the panel.
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When you nail the nails into the wall, you can angle them up to make sure the panels stay flush to the wall.  The second wood strip is glued to the bottom of the panel - this keeps the panel floating off the wall at a consistent depth.
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I've used this method to hang both paintings on, and photographs mounted to masonite panels.  The finished image appears to float on the wall, and doesn't need any additional framing.  I think it is the perfect solution when you want a minimal way to present your work without the distraction of a frame.
If you use this method to hang a piece, let me know in the comments to this post, I'd love to see what you do!
--Cassie Marie
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18 comments:

  1. Andrew BinghamOctober 19, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    Thank you! My goodness, I have been scouring the internet for ideas on how to do this, and everyone in the forums was coming up with uber complex ways of hanging masonite. Thank you! Thank you!

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  2. CassieMarieOctober 19, 2010 at 2:01 PM

    No problemo! I'm glad it's useful! I had the same problem when trying to figure out how to hang them - everyone had a very time consuming and highly technical way of doing it. I'd love to see how yours turn out!
    --Cassie

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  3. MaggieNovember 16, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    This certainly looks much simpler than a lot of other methods I've found...what sort of glue would you recommend using?

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  4. CassieMarieNovember 16, 2010 at 3:09 PM

    Thanks MagGyver - I would recommended using Gorilla Glue. That stuff is amazing. If you are going for something archival, I'm not really sure where to point you glue-wise.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 23, 2010 at 7:24 PM

    I have heard that Lapage's No More Nails is considered the best to use with masonite because its used in the curing process. I'm sure you could find this at any hardware store.

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  6. CaroleMay 31, 2011 at 1:50 AM

    This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! I will let you know how I get on.

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  7. AnonymousDecember 9, 2011 at 7:11 PM

    This is a great idea; thanks so much for sharing it. I've been shying away from using the Masonite panels I've had lying around for months because I didn't really want to have to frame my finished art but I couldn't figure out how to hang them unframed. I think they'll finally get used now!

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  8. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2013 at 3:01 PM

    Could I throw a wire on the loops to eliminate the need for measuring hanging nails?

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  9. CassieMarieJanuary 23, 2013 at 3:36 PM

    I'm sure that would also work! :)
    I didn't do that for these because they were on temporary walls - and I wanted them to be very stable.

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  10. Vicki MaeSeptember 12, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    THANK YOU so much. Been wondering what to do. This makes so much sense.

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  11. AnonymousOctober 29, 2013 at 2:10 PM

    Preparator wisdom chiming in here! The most secure way and preparator-friendly version is to french cleat the backside or rotate your two strips of wood 90 degrees(so that they are vertical), put your eye-hooks(d-rings are more secure and easier to install) on the inside of those strips, wire it up and then place non-skid bumpers on the lower portion of the strip so they grip the wall.

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    Replies
    1. MattDecember 17, 2013 at 8:07 AM

      Question for you...should the d-rings be screwed into the face of the wood strips or on the side like the eye-hooks in Cassie's example?
      Thanks!

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  12. CassieMarieOctober 29, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    Excellent advice! Maybe I'll do a future tutorial using this method!

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  13. Hunter ThompsonDecember 6, 2013 at 1:46 PM

    Epoxy glue is considered the more professional. You have to mix 2 elements, but it's a simple process. You should wear gloves, as well as a protective respirator.

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  14. Hunter ThompsonDecember 6, 2013 at 8:29 PM

    I'm trying this out, and am not like the way the eye screws are visible.
    It seems like if you just tilt the wooden bars 90 degrees and put them on each side of the painting instead of top bottom, so that the eyes face the middle, it will look cleaner. Then again, getting the eye exactly into the nail on the wall would be a small nightmare.

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  15. Flash Eyed MotherDecember 11, 2013 at 11:10 AM

    Thanks for that! www.clairerichardsstudio.com

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  16. Lisa MillerDecember 8, 2015 at 8:47 PM

    I need to hang 12"x12" panels in a gallery and would love to do this, as most of my paintings are 'self framed' by 1/2" black border. However, I'd like to give buyers the choice of framing traditionally. My thought is to try hide glue, which can be removed with a hot knife (hopefully). Any thoughts?

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  17. UnknownMay 26, 2021 at 4:06 PM

    Can you use wood glue

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