Decorating without putting holes in the walls

[Deadend]

So after three days of massively long drives to ikea for forgotten bed parts ect I'm finally set up in my lovely new apartment in Calgary.

It's looking good too! Problem is that the walls are really stark.... and I don't have money for shelving .... or really anything to put on the shelves for that matter.

So does anybody know how to hang pictures... or another idea to deal with plain white/beight apartment walls when you can't put holes in the walls? I Don't really want to go the posters and sticky tack route because I don't want my place looking like a colledge dorm room anymore.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I have framed posters and pictures in my apartment. Some are up using nails others are up using mounting tape (usually you can get them in the packaging/mailing department or in the picture frame/artwork section of most major department stores). And the sticky adhesive on the mounting tape doesn't peel off the paint after you take down your frames so that you don't have to worry about touching up the walls if you move out.

[Ciderhillnh]

3M makes this stuff that holds up pictures like GLUE but comes right off the walls. My old roommate used it in her room of my condo, didnt leave a single mark.

[blueyes]

You could try using those little photograph corner dealies - they normally come in black or white, but I think I've seen them in some other wild colors if your tastes run towards lime green and fuschia. You can then slip the pictures/posters/whatever out on a whim and your walls will never be boring.

[CTGirl]

You could try using those little photograph corner dealies - they normally come in black or white, but I think I've seen them in some other wild colors if your tastes run towards lime green and fuschia. You can then slip the pictures/posters/whatever out on a whim and your walls will never be boring.

oooo, great idea, I use those things all the time, but never once thought to put them on the wall!

I love those 3M hooks and things (they make a huge assortment of hangy-things) for hanging on my walls, they're great, and never pull off the paint.

[paiger81]

My mother taught me this trick, and it's worked in every apartment I've had.


Old fashioned Colgate Toothpaste is a great filler for holes in the wall. I have 3 large pictures that I hang around my place & Colgate has worked perfectly every time. You just put the tube to the hole & squeeze.

[embrassezla]

Can't you just puddy up the holes when you move out?

[tina1979]

fabric and liquid starch. put it on like wallpaper. I haven't done it myself, but I have a few friends who swear by it.

[Winter Storm]

Seriously, why can't you put any holes in the walls? That is craziness to me. You know how many pictures I have hanging up right now? Probably close to 30+.

All they have to do to is spacle afterwards.

[cache]

Anyone tried those Hercules Hooks I see on TV?

Try those...do a search for them, I'm sure you can find them around

[wordsmith]

I always just go ahead and put holes in the wall.

[tina1979]

I always just go ahead and put holes in the wall.
me too. i usually just fill in the holes and repaint before I leave (I usually paint my daughter's room)

[SmilesSoSweet]

I always just go ahead and put holes in the wall.

Same here. Every time I move, I have spacle and fill up the holes myself. I don't repaint anything since I never paint walls I don't own.

Every wall in my apartment right now has some type of frame up. I have a few 24x36 sized framed posters up right now. My theme is that all the posters are of places I've been too. I even took a few pictures that I took, and printed them out on nice photo paper, and framed them myself. I love interior designing.

[gymgurl]

completely off topic but that's cool you are in Calgary, I'm in Edmonton...nice to see another Albertan!! :p where did you move from?

[mishl982]

I can honestly say I've put holes in my walls and have never filled them up after moving. I haven't been charged by any of the apartment complexes for it, so it must be okay! :)

[azdiva]

I know this is going to sound tacky, but if done right it looks awesome. If you want to add some color without painting, you can staple King size bed sheets to the wall. It looks just like wall paper!

[paiger81]

I know this is going to sound tacky, but if done right it looks awesome. If you want to add some color without painting, you can staple King size bed sheets to the wall. It looks just like wall paper!


Not tacky! They do that on the design shows on HGTV.

[jrwilheim]

I can honestly say I've put holes in my walls and have never filled them up after moving. I haven't been charged by any of the apartment complexes for it, so it must be okay! :)

Some landlords are okay with it, some aren't, just as with painting. I got the impression the OP has a lease that forbids hanging anything.

[tina1979]

Some landlords are okay with it, some aren't, just as with painting. I got the impression the OP has a lease that forbids hanging anything.
True.

In my leases you weren't supposed to do anything like that either, but I did. I also left the place looking like it did (usually better) when I left so no one ever said anything.

[mishl982]

Some landlords are okay with it, some aren't, just as with painting. I got the impression the OP has a lease that forbids hanging anything.
Yea, I got that. :googly: I was just chiming in that I've gotten away with it like most other posters have.

[Deadend]

completely off topic but that's cool you are in Calgary, I'm in Edmonton...nice to see another Albertan!! :p where did you move from?

Hamilton :P

[Kingdom]

So after three days of massively long drives to ikea for forgotten bed parts ect I'm finally set up in my lovely new apartment in Calgary.

It's looking good too! Problem is that the walls are really stark.... and I don't have money for shelving .... or really anything to put on the shelves for that matter.

So does anybody know how to hang pictures... or another idea to deal with plain white/beight apartment walls when you can't put holes in the walls? I Don't really want to go the posters and sticky tack route because I don't want my place looking like a colledge dorm room anymore.Two words: push pins. If what your hanging isn't too large or heavy, they work great. And when you leave, they're virtually invisible. If that's no good, take down a load-bearing wall, and create an eight room luxury suite.

[factotum]

fabric and liquid starch. put it on like wallpaper. I haven't done it myself, but I have a few friends who swear by it.

It really does work. In fact, this great little book called Abode A La Mode (http://www.amazon.com/Abode-Mode-Projects-Home-Decor/dp/1402713436/sr=8-1/qid=1161093686/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9712950-0151129?ie=UTF8) explains how to do it on page 121. But you have to use cotton fabric, I think. It might not work with synthetics. Another suggestion from that book is Post-it notes in different colors. You can use them as "tiles" and make designs.

Another thing I will definitely try when I get some money are removeable wall decals. Urban Oufitters has them on their site, and so does a company called Blik (http://www.whatisblik.com/), which manufactures them. You can get these graphics in a great variety of styles, from frilly things like Victorian filigrees to whimsical things like robots to simple things like dots. And they come in lots of colors.