My decorating buddy, Matt Fox, and I have become real pros at hanging art. We almost never have to move the nail over a smidge to hang the piece correctly. And, actually, hanging one piece is a walk in the park compared with assembling a collage of pieces and hanging them in just the right location as to make the collage work.

But let’s start with the basics we’ll advance quickly to the “pro” level.

Grouping items with a common theme on the wall creates a dynamic collage.

To hang one framed piece of art, first determine where it will hang. (Eye level is a general rule.) While you’re holding the piece up on the wall, have someone else put a tiny pencil mark along the top of the frame right in the middle.

Next, lean the picture against your legs, and grab the wire with two fingers, as if your fingers were the hooks. Have someone measure the distance between your fingers, and then how far down you have placed them from the top of the frame. Using these two dimensions, go back to the wall and your pencil mark. From the mark, measure down the height of the frame to your fingers and make another pencil mark.

Now, for a little math.

Divide the measurement from finger to finger (aka picture hook to picture hook) by two and make your second pencil mark the center of a horizontal guide. For example: If the distance was 10 inches, place the tape measure’s 5-inch mark on your pencil dot, and make marks at 0 inches and at 10 inches.

Now you have the placement for both of your picture hooks that will hang your piece of art evenly and securely. To be completely precise, we recommend using a level with a ruled edge. (This is a must if you want to be considered a “pro.”)

Well, “pro,” are you ready to tackle a collage? (Pros will understand what this means, but novices may want to make a note that a collage is a group of related items hung together to create a more dynamic statement than if the pieces were hung alone.)

First, pull together items that have something in common. All-gold frames with black-and-white images would tie unlike subject matter together. Then, add a couple items with some dimension, like a gold wall sconce with a candle on it or a gold-framed mirror. Don’t overdo the variety so that the common thread of the grouping is lost.

Once the items have been collected, start arranging them in a space equal to the space available on the wall but on the floor. It’s easy to move things around and get a feel for the overall effect when you can work in an open area on the floor.

Don’t feel that you have to use all the items you’ve collected. If something doesn’t fit in, save it for another wall in the room.

So how does the collage get from floor to wall? Just grab a couple of brown paper grocery bags, a pencil and a pair of scissors and you’ll get this project licked.

First, cut open the grocery bags. Set each piece from the collage onto the paper, trace around it and cut it out. In the end, you’ll have a duplicate of the “footprint” of your collage that you can tape up on the wall. What’s nice about this is that you can move things around easily now without having to move nails a smidge to get it right.

Once everything is taped up and has been tweaked to meet your approval, locate the hanging apparatus on the pieces of art, and transfer their location to the coordinating taped-up paper. You can actually nail the hooks right in over the paper if you wish, because it will rip away fairly easily.

Now comes the best part. Put all the tools away, stand back and admire your beautiful works of art. Don’t forget the “pat on the back” part, because you’ve achieved “pro” status in the art of hanging art.

Shari Hiller writes this column with Matt Fox. They also co-host the Home and Garden Television show “Room by Room.” For more information, visit www.hgtv.com .