Don’t hammer that nail in just yet – here’s how to hang a picture the easy way. Cable, hook and clear-tape picture hanging systems are good alternatives for hanging pictures, and won’t damage your walls.

We may not all own a Sidney Nolan, but we do want our pictures to look their best. That’s where a good quality picture hanging system comes in – not only can it give you the flexibility to arrange your art the way you want it, but it also saves you from turning your walls into something resembling a cheese grater!

Picture frames and hanging specialist Michelle Burford says that a cable hanging system is best for most situations. "Cable hanging uses a track that runs along under the cornicing," she says. "It is very discreet and, although most tracks are either silver-satin anodised or white powder-coated, they can also be painted to match your wall colour."

For those worried about getting the gist of how to hang a picture, Michelle explains: "Within the tracks are little tabs that can slide along to any position, and you can have as many tabs as you like. The cable then hangs from these with a hook that not only holds the picture, but can be slid up and down the cable to shorten or lengthen it depending on where you want your picture to sit."

The cables themselves come in stainless steel, which is the stronger option, holding up to about 30 kilograms. Alternatively, fishing-wire cables offer an almost invisible option but don’t have the same strength. "These are fine for lighter canvases, but if you have a larger piece or want to hang more than one or two things from the same cable, then the stainless steel is probably more suitable."

There are also clear-tape systems that are cleverly designed to blend into the wall colour. Using a track that screws into the wall, usually at picture-rail height or just below the ceiling, these systems use clear tape hanging straps that can be slid along the track to any position.

"Clear-tape is not as robust as cables, but as it’s see-through, it is discreet," says Michelle.

Get your own pictures and works of art on the walls at home with picture frames and hanging supplies.