How to Hang Animal Wall Mounts – Eric + Eloise Collection
How to Hang Animal Wall Mounts
Learning how to hang animal wall mounts properly makes the difference between a piece that stays put for years and one that ends up crooked, loose, or worse, pulled straight out of the wall. Unlike a lightweight picture frame, cast aluminum wall mounts have real weight and dimension to them, which means the hanging hardware and technique matter more than they would for a flat print. Here's how to get it right the first time.
Understand the Keyhole Mount
Most of the wall mounts in the Eric + Eloise collection are built with keyhole opening(s) on the back of the piece. This is a small, teardrop-shaped slot designed to slide down and catch onto a screw or nail head, locking the mount securely in place once it's seated. It's the same mounting system used on many mirrors and heavier wall decor, and it's more secure than a simple wire-and-hook setup once it's installed correctly.
The key with a keyhole mount is that the screw needs to be partially backed out from the wall, not flush. Leave roughly a quarter inch of the screw head exposed so the keyhole slot has something to slide onto and catch.
Find a Stud, or Use the Right Anchor
Because these pieces have real weight to them, hanging into drywall alone without support is the most common mistake. Whenever possible, locate a wall stud with a stud finder and place your screw directly into it. A stud gives you a secure anchor point that can hold significantly more weight than drywall alone.
If a stud doesn't line up with where you want the piece to hang, don't skip this step, use a proper drywall anchor rated for the weight of your piece. A toggle bolt or heavy-duty drywall anchor will hold far better than a plain nail or screw sunk into unsupported drywall. Check the weight rating on the anchor packaging against the approximate weight of your mount, larger pieces like a stag or moose wall mount will need a sturdier anchor than a smaller duck or mouse.
Mark Your Placement Before You Drill
Because the keyhole mount only gives you one mounting point rather than two, getting the placement right the first time matters more than it would with a standard picture frame. Hold the piece up to the wall, or better, cut a piece of paper or cardboard to the approximate size and shape of the mount and tape it up first, so you can step back and check the height and position before committing to a hole.
A general rule of thumb for eye-level hanging is to center the piece so its middle sits around 57 to 60 inches from the floor, which is the standard museum-height guideline. For pieces going above furniture, like a console table or mantel, aim for roughly 6 to 8 inches of clearance between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mount.
Get the Screw Height Right
Once you know where the piece will hang, you'll need to measure from the top of the piece down to the keyhole slot on the back, then transfer that measurement to the wall to mark exactly where the screw should go. This step is easy to rush, and it's the one most likely to leave you with a mount that's hung slightly too high or too low. Measure twice against the actual piece before drilling.
Hang and Level
Once the screw is in place with about a quarter inch exposed, lift the piece and guide the keyhole slot down onto the screw head, then let it settle into place. Step back and check that it's level, small adjustments are easier to make now than after you've moved on to the next piece if you're building out a full gallery wall.
If you're hanging multiple pieces as part of a larger arrangement, like the layout described in our gallery wall styling guide, it helps to hang your anchor piece first, a larger mount like Frankie the Stag, and then work outward from there so the spacing between pieces stays consistent.
A Few Notes for Heavier and Larger Pieces
Larger, more dramatic mounts like Eric the Hare or a full stag or moose piece carry more weight toward the front of the mount, which can create a slight forward pull over time. For these larger pieces, it's worth adding a small dab of removable museum putty or a strip of hanging tape at the bottom edge, where the piece meets the wall, to prevent any long-term drift or tilting, in addition to the keyhole mount doing the main work.
Heavier Pieces Use a Cleat, Not a Keyhole
Some of our largest pieces are simply too heavy for a keyhole mount to safely support, and use a metal cleat system instead. Eugene the Moose is a good example: at 80 pounds, he ships with an included metal cleat rather than relying on a single screw and keyhole slot.
A cleat system works differently. Instead of one mounting point, you're securing a metal bracket directly into wall studs, then hanging a matching bracket built into the back of the piece onto it, similar to how heavy mirrors or large-format art are often hung in galleries. It sounds more involved than a keyhole mount, but it's actually straightforward:
- Secure the cleat into studs. This step is not optional the way it sometimes can be with a keyhole mount and a rated anchor. A piece this heavy needs to be anchored into solid framing, not drywall alone.
- Get a second person to help lift. At 80 pounds, this isn't a one-person job. Have someone help support and guide the piece while you line up the back bracket with the wall-mounted cleat.
- Lower the piece onto the cleat. Once the brackets are aligned, the piece settles down and locks into place on the cleat, similar to how the keyhole system catches on a screw, just with far more weight distributed across a wider bracket.
If you're building a gallery wall that includes a cleat-mounted piece like Eugene alongside keyhole-mounted pieces, hang Eugene first. His placement and weight will effectively anchor the rest of your layout, and it's easier to arrange lighter pieces around him than the other way around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to hang animal wall mounts into a stud?
It's the best practice when possible, especially for larger pieces. If a stud isn't available where you want to hang it, use a drywall anchor rated for the approximate weight of the piece rather than hanging directly into unsupported drywall.
How far should the screw stick out from the wall?
Leave about a quarter inch of the screw exposed so the keyhole slot on the back of the mount has room to slide onto it and catch securely.
What height should I hang a wall mount at?
A common guideline is centering the piece around 57 to 60 inches from the floor for eye-level viewing, or 6 to 8 inches above furniture like a console table or mantel.
Can I hang animal wall mounts without a keyhole slot showing?
The keyhole opening is on the back of the piece and isn't visible once it's mounted on the wall, so it won't show once installed correctly.
Do all wall mounts hang the same way?
No. Most pieces use a keyhole mount that hangs on a single screw. Larger, heavier pieces like Eugene the Moose use a metal cleat system instead, which is secured into wall studs and requires two people to hang safely.
How much do the wall mounts weigh?
Weight varies by piece and size. Eugene the Moose, one of the largest pieces in the collection, weighs 80 pounds and ships with a cleat mounting system built for that weight. Frankie the Stag weighs in at 32 pounds with the others all below 20 pounds.