You can hang heavy objects such as picture frames, plant hangers, and shelves on gypsum wallboard, plaster, or other hollow walls in several ways. The simplest is to hang items where a nail or screw can be driven into a stud or joist behind the finished wall or ceiling.

You can use conventional nails to hang light objects from these walls (drill pilot holes first to avoid creating cracks), but picture hooks, which are rated in pounds, are often a better option. Determine the weight of the item to be hung, and purchase a hook that can support that weight or more. For example, a 35-pound picture frame should be secured by a 50-pound picture hook.

To secure shelf brackets and other heavy items, use only wood screws driven into studs. When you can’t drive into a stud, support medium-weight items with anchors or toggle bolts. Once they are driven into the holes, they expand to distribute weight more widely than do screws.

Be sure to buy the proper size fastener for the thickness of the wall and the weight of the object you are hanging. Drill a hole, install the anchor, and insert the screw; then tighten it to spread the anchor. When using a toggle bolt, slide the bolt through the hook or object to be mounted before inserting the toggle in a hole that is drilled into the wall; if you remove the bolt when the fastener is in place, you will lose the toggle. Don’t fasten the bolt or screw too tightly; this only pulls the anchor or toggle into the wall material and weakens its grip.

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