How to Make Objects Stick with the Wall Friction Trick

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Mentalist, magician, author, and actor Randy Charach explains how this viral trend works

Co-authored by Randy Charach and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: January 15, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Wall Friction Tutorial
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• How It Works
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• Popularity
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• Risks
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• Safe Hanging Methods
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• Video

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It seems like magic if you’ve seen someone use wall friction to stick a pen or pencil to a wall without adhesive, but it’s actually science! Whether you’ve seen videos on TikTok or watched someone do it in person, we’ll walk you through how wall friction works, with insight from a magician and mentalist. Keep reading to learn the wall friction trick and the risks of doing it. If you want to permanently secure something to your wall, we spoke with DIY experts for other safe hanging methods.

Wall Friction Trick Explained

Mentalist, magician, author, and actor Randy Charach says this trick comes down to surface roughness and applied pressure. To do it, hold the flat side of an object tightly against a painted, textured wall. Push the object straight up by about 1 ft (30 cm) and let go. The object sticks in place because of friction.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

How to Stick Objects with Wall Friction

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   Choose a wall with a painted, textured surface. Walls with painted and textured surfaces have small bumps that help create more friction so your object sticks better. It doesn’t matter if it’s drywall, brick, or another surface, as long as it’s painted.

   • Charach says this trick depends on surface area, surface roughness, and applied pressure. “You could put lightweight things on a wall using friction if they're pressed against the wall rigid enough for resistance to keep them in place. You can use other means like rubber/silicone pads to enhance grip from both surfaces or wedging paper or fabric between a solid object and the wall, or use more textured materials that apply more friction when forced down.”
   • “Flat walls and flat objects won't have as much friction in comparison to more textured surfaces and softer materials,” he notes.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Randy Charach is a mentalist, magician, author, and actor based in Vancouver, BC. He has over 30 years of experience as a performer and has performed over 5,000 shows for audiences worldwide.

   David Julien is a DIY Specialist and the owner of Nice DIY in Quebec, Canada.

   Emily Fazio is a Home Improvement & DIY Specialist who is the editorial director of Home Living Handbook.

   Cindy Hofen is a Professional Organizer & Home Staging Specialist who has over 15 years of organizing experience.

   Peter Salerno is an Installation Expert who has over 20 years of experience installing and mounting objects for residential and commercial buildings.
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   Hold the flat side of an object against the wall. Choose a small object that has a flat side, such as a pen, pencil, phone charger, ruler, or calculator. Press the flattest side of the object tight against the wall and hold it in place.

   • Even though some TikToks and viral videos show people using larger objects like brooms or even chairs, start off with something small for your first try.
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   Push the object in a quick, upwards motion. When you’re ready, quickly move the object about 1 foot (30 cm) up the wall while you’re pressing down. Let go of the object, and it will magically hang on the wall.

   • If the object doesn’t stick, try rotating it slightly and sliding it along the wall again. Press a little harder as well to help the friction work better.
     • If the object still doesn’t stick, it might not be flat enough.
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Section 2 of 5:

How Wall Friction Works

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1. 
   Tiny bumps in the wall and your object create friction and stick together. Even if both surfaces look flat, they have a lot of small bumps and grooves if you view them under a microscope. When you press and move the object against your wall, the bumps rub together to create friction, and they form “microwelds” that stick to one another.

   • Some people believe that static electricity or friction heating the paint causes the object to stick, but these are less likely explanations.

Section 3 of 5:

How the Wall Friction Trend Became Popular

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1. Users on TikTok posted videos of themselves sticking objects to walls. Even though the trick has been around for a while, recent videos on TikTok showing more outrageous items have made it popular again. One TikTok by @jenuinelyidk with more than 2 million likes shows her hanging small items at first but eventually using the trick to fully support a wooden chair.

   • One viral TikTok by @akhkhir.23 shows a desk supposedly attached to the wall with friction, and even has students sitting in it without falling. However, this video is most likely fake.
   • Other videos show people sticking objects like makeup containers, brooms, calculators, batteries, and more.
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Section 4 of 5:

Risks of Using Wall Friction to Stick Objects

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   You could scratch or damage your walls. Pushing an object against the wall and then moving it could scrape away some of the paint or leave scuff marks. If you’re pressing with a lot of force, there’s a chance you could break through a weaker section of drywall too.

   • If you try the trend and leave a scuff mark, try scrubbing it with a damp melamine sponge.
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   The objects can easily fall down if they’re bumped. Charach says objects being held on a wall by friction are not very secure. “Friction enables support, but it does so in a temporary manner," he explains. “Friction is weakened over time as gravity and oscillation work against it. Humidity and minute changes in pressure can create the release of the item. The moment an object moves, even just a little bit, contact from the surface area is weakened which allows the item to slip or tumble down.”

   • Charach continues, “Friction works best as a means of placement when something is extremely lightweight and for short periods of time. It's ill-advised to rely on friction for anything valuable, anything heavy, or anything placed over people's heads or fragile items.”
   • Because there aren’t any fasteners securing your items to the wall, even the lightest touch could knock them down. Depending on how heavy the item is, this could then cause injury or damage. Home improvement and DIY specialist Emily Fazio also agrees that anything that isn’t well secured to a wall is “basically a hazard.”
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   You could get in trouble doing it at school. Doing the wall friction trend at school could be disruptive during class and make your teacher upset. If you damage the walls, it may also be considered vandalism, and you may be in even more trouble.
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Section 5 of 5:

Safe Ways to Hang Objects on Walls

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   Use double-sided tape for light objects. DIY specialist David Julien recommends double-sided tape for lighter objects, such as letters on a wall or posters. He mentions there are multiple kinds of double-sided tape meant for hanging things on walls that do not damage the paint.

   • If you don’t have double-sided tape, Julien says that transparent tape on the corners of the poster also works well.
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   Pin the corners of posters or photos to cause minimal damage. Julien says, “Insert sewing needles in the 4 corners. These will make tiny holes in your wall almost invisible to the eye.”

   • Pushpins also work, but they may leave more noticeable holes in your wall.
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   Apply adhesive hanging strips to prevent damage to your wall. Professional organizer and home staging specialist Cindy Hofen recommends adhesive strips for hanging things without putting a hole in your wall. She says, “When you want to take it off, you just pull it, and that little tape stretches out and comes right off the wall.”

   • To apply the strip, peel the adhesive off the wall side and press it firmly against your wall. Apply the other strip to your object.
   • Leave the strips for 1 hour before you hang up your object. This gives the adhesive time to cure.
   • Press the strips together so the hook-and-loop fasteners stick to each other.
   • Adhesive strips work really well for frames, art, or other lightweight objects.
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   Secure heavier objects using anchors or wall studs. Installation expert Peter Salerno says, “If you have something that is over 50-80 pounds (22.6-36 kg), you’re going to want to locate a stud” so you have the most support. If you can’t find a stud, he says using wall anchors through drywall will make your item secure.

   • Salerno suggests taking the weight ratings of the wall anchors and cutting them in half just to be safe. So, if the wall anchor is supposed to be able to support 100 lbs (45.3kg), only hang 50 lbs (22.6) on it.
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