I own a level. Somewhere. I have not seen it since we moved into this house three years ago. Every time I need to hang something, I spend fifteen minutes looking for it, give up, eyeball the picture, step back, realize it is crooked, adjust, step back, adjust again, and eventually accept that it will always be slightly off.

Then I learned three methods that use things I actually have. No level required.

Method 1: The Tape Measure Trick

Measure down from the ceiling to where you want the top of the frame on both sides. Mark both points. If both marks are the exact same distance from the ceiling, your picture will be level—assuming your ceiling is level, which it usually is in modern construction. Connect the marks with a light pencil line and hang along that line.

Method 2: The Phone App

Your phone has a level built into the Measure app on iPhone or the Compass app by swiping on Android. Set the phone on top of the frame before you nail it in, adjust until the bubble is centered, and mark your holes. I used this for my entire gallery wall. Every frame is perfectly straight. No one believes I did not use a real level.

Method 3: The String and Weight

Tie a weight—a key, a washer, anything small and heavy—to a string. Hold the string against the wall at the center point where the picture will hang. The string creates a perfect vertical line. Align the center of your frame with that line, and the frame will be straight left to right as long as your hook is centered on the back of the frame.

I have not looked for my level in a year. I do not know where it is. I am not sure I care anymore.