Of "Pins and Needles" and How They Are Useful

Be advised that the following hint will not work if you live in an older home with those hard-plaster walls.

Here's a handy-dandy hint for those of you who live in homes with sheet-rock walls and who like to hang things such as small wall quilts and who don't want the hassle of putting yet-more nail holes in the walls. (This will work for other items that are very light in weight...don't use for heavy pictures.)


Some years ago I purchased a small container of short applique pins at a yard sale. (Most everything in my house is from some yard sale so perhaps I should stop adding that to every post...you can just insert the words yourself next time you read!)

Applique pins are shorter than standard pins. I don't do much applique. Instead I use these short pins to hang small things on the wall...in particular, small wall quilts. If I decide later to move the item, the only thing left on the wall are tiny holes which can easily be disguised with a smidgen of white toothpaste. (Or, if you're a purist about your walls, spackling compound.)


Simply grasp the pin with a pair of pliers (needle nose work well) and stick it through the quilt into the wall. Sometimes I just attach at the top corners. Other times I will add a couple pins at the bottom as well. Place them far enough into the wall that you won't snag them as you walk by but leave them sticking out just enough that you can grasp them with pliers when you want to remove them. Be care, if you drop them in carpeting they are a bear to find. No! Wait! A bear would be easy to find. Believe me, the pins are Not!

My advice if you live in an older home with hard plaster walls? Move! No, that's not a good idea...sorry about that. I jest. If you have hard plaster walls you already know they are hard as a rock. Even pounding a nail to hang a picture is a task and you'll end up with bent nails on the floor at your feet! Instead, pre-drill a hole using a bit that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the nail. Then you can pound the nail into the wall.


P.S. You can use regular pins as well. Grasp them close to the tip, push them in the wall a bit, grasp them again further up the pin, push some more, until you have them firmly in the wall. It is possible to use old sewing machine needles for heavier items...remember again to grasp close to the tip as you push them into the wall.)




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