Hanging a tapestry can transform your space far more quickly than painting an  accent wall  and with  much  less hassle than arranging a  gallery wall  (although we love them both). 

That said, you may be wondering how to wrangle hanging decorative panels that aren’t exactly one-size-fits-all-walls.?

Here, we offer more than a dozen different ways to hang a tapestry, including some rental-friendly options.

Hammer In Nails

Assuming your tapestry hasn’t been handed down over the centuries, you could simply nail up the corners. Start?hammering?in one corner, then experiment with how much or little you want the tapestry draped before nailing up the other corner. Let it hang freely, or secure it with a couple of nails at the bottom.?

Best for: Light- to medium-weight tapestries hung on drywall

Use Push Pins?

If you don’t want to see nail sticking a half-inch off the wall at the corners of your tapestry, push pins are a great choice. Additionally, push pins leave minimal marks on drywall (a bonus for renters). If it's a small or lightweight tapestry, just tack up the top corners with a couple of push pins.

Best for: Lighter tapestries hung on drywall

Attach Velcro

Velcro is a super easy way to hang a tapestry, especially if you’ve got an unforgiving wall made of brick or cement. Attach one side of the velcro to the back of the tapestry and the other to the surface. Gently peel apart the velcro to drape or adjust as necessary, but it should stay firmly in place otherwise.??

Best for: Light- to mid-weight tapestries; good option for brick and cement walls

Support With a Baseboard

For a heavy, blanket-like tapestry, it’s better to attach it to a baseboard for support. Slide a length of baseboard through the rod pocket on the back of a tapestry?you could always sew/attach one of your own?making sure it's slightly longer than the pocket. Then, screw the sides of the baseboard into the wall.?

Best for: Heavy tapestries

Use Poster Hanger

A poster hanger will do the trick if you have a slender tapestry. Secure an end of the tapestry between the two rails, then center the hanger on a single nail or another wall-friendly hook or anchor.

Best for: Thin, lightweight tapestries

Stretch It on a Frame?

Stretch a tapestry over the edge of a frame and secure with a staple gun, then hang the frame as you would any other wall art.

Best for: Thinner tapestries that you don’t mind not seeing the edges of

Put It in a Shadow Box

If you have a small tapestry that is too delicate for hanging by other methods, enclose it in a shadow box. This will, unfortunately, diminish the tactile experience of hanging a tapestry, but you will preserve the fragile fabric.?

Best for: Smaller, delicate tapestries

Add Grommets

Skip this one if you don’t want to damage the tapestry’s fabric. Otherwise, punch holes in the corners of the fabric and/or along one side of the tapestry and insert grommets. Then, hook the grommets on adhesive hooks, or thread some rope or a curtain rod through them to hang.

Best for: A non-antique tapestry that you won’t mind altering the fabric to hang

Use Hooks on a Thin Rope

This method works much like hanging a frame on picture hanging wire: Attach two (or more) adhesive hooks to the back of the tapestry, then connect thin rope or heavy-duty string to the hooks. Then, hang the rope or string from a nail or hook on the wall. Depending on the size of the tapestry, you might want to hang the rope from two or more nails to distribute the weight of the fabric better.?

Best for: Large, lightweight tapestries with a sturdy shape

Attach Quilt Hanger Clips

Secure the top corners of your tapestry with quilt hanger clips and attach to the wall. If you want to arrange the tapestry, attach two more clips to the bottom; otherwise, you can let the tapestry hang freely.

Best for: Thin, quilt-like tapestries

Hang Atop a Four-Poster Bed Canopy

Larger lightweight tapestries can create a canopy or side walls on a four-poster bed. If it’s very large, you might drape it over the top of all four posts, or you might just hang it over the foot or side rail. Secure with clamps or thin pieces of fabric in a coordinating color.

Best for: Large, lightweight tapestries

Drap It Over a Room Divider

Drape a tapestry over a freestanding room divider for a unique “wall” that creates some privacy in an open floor plan. For those who work from home, it’s a great way to liven up the backdrop of a video call.

Best for: Tapestries with patterns, not pictures, so you can drape them as you see fit

Attach Clip-On Curtain Rings

Purchase a set of clip-on curtain hooks and attach them to one end of the tapestry. Then, insert a curtain rod through the rings. Hang it as curtain over a window or install the curtain rod elsewhere on a wall.

You can also use curtain rings to hang a tapestry just off of the wall or from the ceiling. Hang the curtain rings directly on ceiling hooks, or put them on a rod and hang the rod from the ceiling with large ceiling hooks or something a little more stylish, like leather straps.

Best for: Large, curtain-like tapestries

Put It on a Clothesline

Attach two ends of a clothesline with rope to a wall in your home, then attach the tapestry either by draping it over or securing it with clothespins. 

Best for: Lightweight tapestries with smooth ends, not fringed.

Use a Decorative Rod

Attach a curtain rod to a wall in your home, then hang the tapestry either by draping it over or threading it through.

Best For: Heavier weight tapestries