How to hang a banner without grommets

Plenty of banners arrive with no grommets: paper and adhesive banners from photo counters, budget vinyl banners where grommets were an add-on you skipped, fabric banners made for frames, and party banners. You can still hang them flat and securely. The right method depends on three things: the surface (painted wall, glass, brick, fence, table), indoors or out, and how long it needs to stay up.

Quick picker

1. Painter's tape (indoors, light banners)

Painter's tape is the gentlest choice for painted walls. It holds paper banners and light 2 x 4 ft vinyl for a day or two indoors. Use full-length strips along the top edge rather than small pieces in the corners; a continuous strip spreads the load and stops the middle from sagging. Fold a small tab at each end so it peels off easily.

Not for: heavy vinyl, humid rooms, textured walls or anything outdoors.

2. Removable adhesive strips and hooks

Removable picture-hanging strips and small adhesive hooks are designed to come off painted walls cleanly when you pull the tab. For a banner without grommets, stick two or three hooks along the top line and hang the banner from them with small binder clips or bulldog clips gripping the top edge. Follow the weight rating on the package, press each strip firmly for 30 seconds, and wait the time the package suggests before loading.

Remove strips by pulling the tab straight down along the wall, slowly. Pulling outward is what tears paint.

3. Binder clips or bulldog clips

Clips are the most useful single item for grommet-free banners:

• On a table: clip the banner's top edge to the tablecloth every 12 to 18 inches.
• On a wall: clip it to hooks, nails or a string line.
• On a canopy: clip to the frame bars, then add a cord through the clip handles for extra hold.

Use clips large enough to bite into the full hem. Put a small square of folded card between the clip and the print if you don't want marks.

4. Adhesive banner tabs

Several printers sell self-adhesive hanging tabs: small reinforced plastic or fabric tabs with a hole, which stick to the back corners of a banner and give you a fixing point without punching holes. Best of Signs, for example, listed adhesive tabs as an alternative to grommets (+$9.99) when we checked in October 2026. They suit vinyl banners on smooth surfaces and light outdoor use. On large banners in wind, real grommets are stronger.

5. Suction cups (glass and smooth surfaces)

Suction cups with hooks hold a light banner on a window, glass door or tile wall. Clean the glass with rubbing alcohol first, press the cup firmly, and hang the banner with clips from the hooks. Suction cups slowly lose grip as temperatures change; check them daily and don't use them where a falling banner would hit someone. Staples sold grommet-and-suction-cup kits as a banner add-on in October 2026.

For a window banner you'll leave up a while, a static-cling or adhesive window graphic is often a better product than a banner.

6. Banner clips (outdoors without holes)

Banner clips (also called banner grip clips or "grabbers") clamp onto the edge of a vinyl banner and give you a loop for a rope, bungee or zip tie. They work well on fences, railings and canopy frames where you can't or don't want to punch holes. Space them every 18 to 24 inches. On a windy site, use bungees through the clips so gusts stretch the cord rather than tearing the vinyl.

7. Add your own grommets

If the banner is vinyl or fabric and you can punch it, adding grommets is the strongest fix. You have two options:

• Grommet kit with a setting tool: a hole cutter, a setting die and brass grommets. Cut the hole, push the grommet through, place the washer and strike with a hammer. Kits cost little at hardware and craft stores.
• Snap-on or self-adhesive grommets: no hammer; they press or stick on. Fine for light use.

Put grommets in the hem if there is one, at least 1 inch in from the edge, in each corner and then no more than every 24 inches. For an unhemmed banner, add a strip of clear packing tape or duct tape on the back first to reinforce each spot. Our grommet calculator gives the count for your size.

8. Pole pocket on a rod

If the banner has a pole pocket (a sleeve along the top or side), slide a rod, dowel or curtain pole through it. Hang the rod on two hooks or brackets. A second pole in a bottom pocket keeps it flat. This is the standard way to hang fabric banners and backdrops on stands. You can make a pocket on a fabric banner with fabric glue or a simple sewn hem.

9. Hang it from a cord or wire

String a tight cord, wire or fishing line between two fixing points, then clip the banner to it with clothespins or binder clips. This is handy across a doorway, between two trees, or along a long wall where you only want two holes.

Hanging without damaging the wall

• Avoid regular tape on painted walls: it can lift paint.
• Test any adhesive on a hidden spot first.
• Don't use adhesives on fresh paint (give it a few weeks) or on wallpaper.
• Remove adhesive products slowly, as the package directs.
• For brick, see how to hang a banner on a brick wall.

For posters and lighter prints, our guide to hanging posters without damaging walls covers more options.

Outdoors: when to give up and add grommets

Outdoors, wind changes everything. A 3 x 6 ft banner catches a surprising amount of force, and tape, strips and suction cups fail fast. Outside, use banner clips with bungees, real grommets, or a pole pocket, tie at every point, and prefer mesh on open fences. Our outdoor banner hanging guide has the details.

Next time: order it with finishing

If you buy banners regularly, finishing usually costs only a few dollars. On a 3 x 6 ft banner in our October 2026 survey, one printer charged $8.34 for a hem plus grommets every 2 feet, and several printers include both in the price. See grommets, hems and pole pockets.

Questions people ask

How do you hang a banner without grommets or holes?

Indoors, use painter's tape, removable adhesive hooks with binder clips, or suction cups on glass. Outdoors, use banner clips with bungees or ropes, or add grommets.

How do you hang a vinyl banner on a wall without nails?

Stick removable adhesive hooks along the top line and clip the banner to them, or use self-adhesive banner tabs on the back corners. Check the weight rating and press strips firmly.

Can I put grommets in a banner myself?

Yes, with a grommet kit: cut a hole, insert the grommet and washer, and set it with the tool and a hammer. Place grommets in the hem, 1 inch from the edge, no more than 24 inches apart.

How do I hang a banner on a table?

Clip the top edge to the tablecloth with binder clips every 12 to 18 inches, or zip tie the corners around the table legs if it has grommets.

Do Walgreens banners come with grommets?

Walgreens' banner product pages we checked in October 2026 did not list grommets, so plan to use clips, tape, adhesive hooks or a DIY grommet kit.

Sources and further reading

• Best of Signs: mounting options incl. adhesive tabs (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• Staples: banner finishing options (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• UPrinting: hem and grommet add-on pricing (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• How to hang an outdoor banner (this site)

Written and checked by K.R. for UnlimitedBanners.com. Product specs and prices change; confirm details with the printer or seller before you order. Spot an error? Tell us.