I don’t think it is only me that can hate hanging pictures with the standard picture hooks and nails – you know the little gold-coloured ones? It’s fiddly to hold both the nail and the hook whilst hammering the nail in, and, even if you don’t hammer your thumb in the process, the nail invariably goes in crooked.

Thank God someone has come up with a solution, and luckily I have stumbled upon it just in time for putting up some pics in my new flat.

The solution is called Takker, and it consists of a little gadget that works very much like a staple gun, which ‘staples’ – in one simple movement – a teeny tack into the wall strong enough to hold up to a 10kg weight. Amazing! It was a winner on Ireland’s Dragon’s Den, and when I used it I could definitely see why.

 

 

Once the tack (above, top right) is in the wall, it can be topped with one of a variety of picture hooks and hangers that come included on the pack (the one I chose is above, bottom left).

You can see a full demonstration of the Takker system .

In my new flat I have less wall space than I have pictures, so I have to make some difficult decisions about what will be hung, and where. But I knew that my favourite painting, by my artist brother-in-law Jonathan Greenup, was definitely going up, so that was the first to get the Takker treatment.

 

 

I love the way that Jonathan has captured the very special light and colours and unique essence of the Dorset landscape in this painting of the cliffs of Portland. I lived in Dorset for many years, and though I now love the patchwork Devon fields just as much as the rolling Dorset hills, I like to have this little reminder of Dorset on my wall.

 

 

Hanging the painting with Takker was a breeze, and it will make hanging all my other pictures so easy (apart from the task of deciding which ones make the final edit of course). The Takker can also be used to easily remove the tacks, leaving just a tiny 1mm hole – good news for me as I am renting, so don’t want a lot of damage to the walls.

All Takker products can be bought online from www.takker.com. The picture hanging kit featured above costs just £19.99 (plus £2.50 p&p) and this includes the Takker tool, 48 x tacks, 4 x picture hooks, 4 x canvas print  hangers, 2 x medium multi-purpose picture hooks, and 2 x small multi-purpose picture hooks. Everything you need in one small box – perfect.

Please note that the Takker kit is suitable for use on plaster, plasterboard, wood  fencing, trellising and aerated concrete block. Takker is not suitable for exposed brick, exposed concrete block or plaster with a high cement content.