How to Install a Sawtooth Hanger and Use a Laser Level

How to Install a Sawtooth Hanger & How to Use a Laser Level 

Hanging items on the wall can be intimidating, but with the right tools, we can do it! Today, I am excited to share how to install a sawtooth hanger, and how to use a laser level while gaining confidence to work on larger projects. 

If you love DIY projects but sometimes struggle with motivation, you’re not alone! I originally planned to share this post in early January, but here we are at the end of the month—shame on me! But hey, life happens for everyone, I figure better late than never.

DIY Home Projects at Your Own Pace

While everyone else is decluttering and organizing this month, I’m over here doing my own thing—tackling small DIY projects that bring me joy. I love those organization gurus, but let’s be real, I’m not the most organized person so who am I to tell others how to organize? 

My strength lies in upcycling, home projects, and the occasional recipe. If you’re here for creative ideas, money-saving tips, and simple DIYs, welcome to the fun! 2025 will be all about sharing more about me here. I hope you're ready. 

There can be a hundred ideas that float through my mind on any given day, and since I assume you visit for ideas, how to's, and upcycling, with recipes sprinkled in, I am going to give you all I got. There will also be ideas on how to save money. I mean who hasn't been affected by the rising costs of well, everything.

Goals for 2025

In 2025, I am working on more independence and working outside my comfort zone. I will be beginning small, like today's DIY project, while hopefully working myself up into larger projects throughout the year (we'll see how this venture goes). 

This gal has ideas, and a lot of them. After last year's debacle with the bathroom, I decided I know we will treat this home right, and doesn't she deserve that after all? So why not figure out how to do the things, and learn valuable information while sharing with you too?

Being new to using power tools, I figure I am not alone, my mind set is, we can do this! So, in light of that statement, I am going to share with you a few updates I've been working on.

Power Tool Newbie? Let’s Learn Together!

I’ll admit it—power tools have intimidated me over the years. I always waited for my husband to help, but after a long day at work, that’s not really fair to him. So, I’ve decided it’s time to learn and take you along for the ride. If you’ve ever felt nervous about using tools, we’re in this together!

My first project? 

Hanging up some gorgeous rosettes I found years ago at an antique mall. They’ve been shuffled from room to room, and it’s time to finally give them a home. 

To do that, I needed to install sawtooth hangers and make sure they were hung straight—so using a laser level was necessary too.

If you have been reading along with us for a while, then you have probably seen these rosettes in our home decor styling. We picked them up at an antique mall for a few dollars in a pack of four. 

At the time, I assumed they were wood. They are actually MDF, but they still have the look I was after so I am not upset.

Over the years, they have sat just about everywhere in our home, but I finally decided to add hangers to the backs, and get them up on the wall.

Okay, so the hangers I used are a bit overkill, but I am all about working with what I have in 2025. My plan is to use up everything before I buy new this year. This gal has a lot of stuff, junk, treasures ❤, whatever you want to call them, and they need to all find a home.

While I am sure most know how to drill a hole into the back of MDF or wood, I am sharing this easy DIY to help us gain confidence. I needed this confidence building exercise too, and I thought for anyone who is trigger shy like myself, we can learn together and see what I encountered with this project.

With DIY on the brain, and our learning caps on, we will learn two things today: how to install a sawtooth hanger, and how to use a laser level. Let's get into it, and see what I learned so my knowledge can becomes yours too.

How to Install a Sawtooth Hanger 

Learning how to install a sawtooth hanger is an essential skill for DIY enthusiasts. Whether you're hanging lightweight artwork or decorative pieces like my MDF rosettes, a sawtooth hanger makes the job easy and secure.

Materials:

1. Item to be hung, in my case, MDF rosettes
2. Sawtooth hangers with two screws (mine hold up to 50 lbs, a bit overkill, but I am using what I already have)
3. Drill, (I used a Dewalt  with quick release bits)
4. Drill bit set
5. Screw driver bit
6. Quick release Bit Holder
7. Sharpie Marker 

Instructions:

• Place sawtooth hangers onto back of item you are hanging, be sure the hanger is level and centered on the back
• Draw black dots in place where holes will be drilled so you know where to place the drill bit when drilling
• Place sawtooth hanger to the side, predrill holes, this makes life a lot easier. 
• Since the screws are short, predrill down about 1/8 inch. I have seen where people will mark the drill bit with blue painters tape so they do not drill through an item. I felt confident I could do this without tape.
• Once holes are drilled, place hanger back in place, and add screw to end of screwdriver bit (ours is magnetic) and line up with existing hole, push the button on the drill until the screw is flush with the hanger
• Repeat above step so the hanger is secured to the back of item

Don't Forget to Pin for Later!

Dewalt Drill Bit Set

Quick release drill bit holder

Pull back to get quick release holder to release the screwdriver drill bit

Viola, we have drilled, and shown how to install a sawtooth hanger to the back of this MDF rosette. Yay for us!

Now for the good stuff....

What happened:

• I really did think I could use the drill and screwdriver bit without predrilling when I first began. Nope, it would have stripped the bit and top of the screw if I had continued.
• The first hole I drilled must have hit something inside the MDF because I had difficulty in getting the hole drilled. It wasn't until I finished the other three did I learn the process went much more smoothly.
• On the first rosette, I had to keep going back and forth between the drill and screwdriver bit (see above bullet). The quick change piece on the drill is a lifesaver. I am not even sure how to change out bits without it. Go ahead and spring for it if you are newbie like me.
• When I struck something, it began to strip the screw, do not let this happen, go ahead and click the button to reverse the screw back out. Now, if I need to do a more in depth tutorial about using the drill, I will. I figure I cannot be the only one who is new to using power tools. 

Reverse button to back a screw out

Now. let's hang these rosettes on the wall and now we get to learn how to use a laser level! 

How to Use a Laser Level

A laser level is one of the best tools for ensuring your decor is hung evenly and precisely. If you've ever struggled to get picture frames or wall art straight, learning how to use a laser level will change your DIY game!

Materials:

1. Item you are hanging with sawtooth hanger attached 
2. Laser level, (Self Leveling 360 degree wall attachment)
3. Hammer
4. Nails 
5. Measuring Tape 

Instructions:

• I wanted the rosettes to be centered on this small wall. I located the center by measuring the wall from the corner to the trim. This section of wall was 17 inches, so I marked the wall at 8 1/2 inches for nail placement
• Place nail on top of mark and tap hammer to nail head into wall. Since my sawtooth hangers were so large for such small pieces, I tapped the hanger in close to the wall for a closer hang to the wall
• I placed the rosette onto the nail to see if it was centered, yay, it was!
• This particular laser level comes with a magnetic piece that allows you to hang the laser onto the wall. Hang the level onto the nail you have installed, check for center on the level. This is where the bubble stays between the two lines on the level. The laser will show laser red beam all the way up the wall.
• You can measure out where you would like to place the next piece, but I eyeballed where I wanted the next rosette to be placed. Mark the wall over the red line, tap the nail into the plaster wall, hang rosette. Do you see how the level bisects the rosette perfectly? This is how you know you have properly hung the items in a straight line.
• The top rosette needed measured between nails so there was consistency in hanging each rosette onto the wall. My rosettes are 2 1/2 inches from the bottom of one rosette to the top of the next.

Aren't you feeling accomplished that you know how to use a laser level? I admit, I was feeling pretty good about this project and proud of myself that they ended up in a straight line. 

In fact, I was feeling so good, I moved on to another project - I'll share it at a later date. Learning how to hang stuff on walls is a big thing in my book, so pat yourself on the back.   

I think my my husband was as proud of my new skills as I was!

Small Wins Lead to Big Confidence!

Learning how to install a sawtooth hanger and how to use a laser level might seem like minor wins, but these small victories build confidence for bigger DIY projects. This year, I’m all about learning and growing at my own pace. No pressure, just progress!

So tell me—do you find tutorials like this helpful? Does learning these skills make you feel more confident in tackling projects around your home? Let’s make 2025 the year of learning, creating, and embracing DIY on our own terms!   

If you are looking for a material list, I have included the items I used today below:

• Dewalt Drill
• Drill bit set
• Sawtooth hangers
• Screw driver bit
• Quick release Bit Holder
• Laser level, (Self Leveling 360 degree wall attachment)
• Hammer and Nail Set
• Measuring Tape
• House of Fara MDF Rosettes 

Happy DIYing,

Cara