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Need to hang something, but don’t want to drill a hole in the wall? Here are some ideas that include adhesive options.
Disclaimer: These products are suggested, not guaranteed. I’m sharing my own experience with these products, but please research thoroughly and read purchaser reviews before buying, and certainly before hanging anything breakable!
1. Adhesive hooks
Command hooks are the old standby, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I used this clear type to hang a photo in my bedroom and a plant in my living room (spray painted gray). Whenever I have tried using these hooks to hang things on the exterior of my RV, such as a plastic hummingbird feeder or a sign on my front door, they have always fallen down. They seem to do just fine for hanging lighter weight items on RV wallpaper, though.
For heavier items, I always this type of heavy duty adhesive hook. Not only have I used them to hang bird feeders, I have also used them to hang things in my shower, and to hang RV skirting. They will remain firmly stuck to any non-porous surface through all types of weather, and I have even had to use a butter knife and a pair of pliers when I needed to remove them (which completely destroyed the plastic backing and made it NOT “reusable” as advertised). However, as well as they do on porous surfaces, I can’t get them to stay stuck to RV wallpaper. Go figure!
2. Removable strips
Hook-and-loop Command strips like these are popular among RVers because they are designed to be easily removable and are fairly inexpensive. When I was a teacher, I sometimes used these to hang decorative items on the cinder block walls of my classroom, and as far as I can remember, they worked well.
3. Hook and loop tape (e.g. Velcro)
One of the most popular no-drill options is Velcro. Industrial-strength Velcro can be used for hanging heavier objects. One advantage to Velcro is the item can be easily removed and replaced as needed, for example to change the picture in side a frame.
My personal experience with Velcro has been mixed. When I used it to hang decor in an old apartment, it stuck so firmly that when I tried to remove the pictures for moving, it pulled off a chunk of drywall with it. I also tried using Velcro to hang a piece of coroplast in my RV shower skylight to partially block the hot sun, and the adhesive failed, due to the heat I would assume. But Velcro does have many good uses, and it is a staple for DIY projects in my RV. Specifically I have used it to make plexiglass covers for my RV windows for winter.
4. Putty
Museum putty can be used to stick lightweight decorative items to a wall (or to a shelf!), as well as to secure the corners of pictures so they don’t slide around on their hooks while your RV is in motion. Which brand works best? If you find out, let me know!
5. Push pins
Push pins are technically no-drill, although they do require making a tiny hole. T-shaped push pins might be less noticeable for some uses.
6. Monkey / gorilla hooks
These also require a very small hole but may be your best bet for reliably hanging heavy objects with minimal damage to the wall.
7. Pop Rivets
This method is great for someone who isn’t as concerned with having holes in the wall but is afraid of drilling too deep and hitting something important, or worried that the luan wallboard will be too thin to support something heavy like a medicine cabinet. You can purchase a pop rivet gun fairly cheaply on Amazon. I haven’t tried this method personally, but here is an excellent video where a guy demonstrates how he uses one in his RV.
8. Double sided tape
Foam mounting tape like this is very strong but can also be very difficult to remove (whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you to decide!). Since it’s the same stuff used on the back of classic Command hooks, it can be used to replace the adhesive in order to make a Command hook reusable if you have to move it.
Remember how I said I would tell you about my favorite no-drill wall hanging method later? Well this is it: acrylic mounting tape.
Acrylic double-sided mounting tape is very strong, yet it can be easily removed from surfaces such as RV wallpaper without damaging it or leaving behind any residue. I have even used it for hanging Command hooks when their original adhesive failed.
I used acrylic mounting tape to hang this small picture:
Believe it or not though, I also used it to mount the wooden box holder for this ceramic sake serving set on the wall shortly before our first RV road trip. Five months later (at the time I’m writing this) it’s still there!
Rustic decor seems to be popular with a lot of RVers, so when I saw these adhesive branch hooks I had to add them to my list.
But do you see how they are mounted?
Looks like acrylic tape to me. Meaning these could easily be a DIY project if you have access to some branches and a way to saw them in half!
I’m telling you, this acrylic tape is the best. In fact, I use it so frequently for so many different projects that I wrote a whole blog post about all the ways I’ve used acrylic tape in my RV!
For more no-drill ideas, be sure to check out my related article about adhesive storage and organizational products!
Need something to hang on your walls? Click here to check out my printable wall decor!
Would you recommend the small adhesive hooks or the large for RV skirting ?
I used large adhesive hooks in this style to hang my RV skirting.