The Soda Pop Level
Crooked pictures have a habit of catching your eye every time you enter the room. Straightening them by guesswork can become a repeated nuisance. You step back, tilt your head, adjust the frame, and discover it still looks wrong.
Grab a clear soda bottle instead. Fill it about three-quarters full with water so that there is a visible, even liquid line along the top of the frame. Now hold the bottle sideways along the top frame of the painting, and adjust the picture to match until the liquid line is straight. This is especially handy when your proper level is in the garage, missing, or simply too tedious to fetch.
Any clear bottle with a bit of air space will do the job, so keep one handy in the kitchen. Only, remember to put on a tight lid or hold the mouth of the bottle so that there is no leakage or unnecessary spills. Next time a frame needs hanging, or a shelf needs mounting, skip the search through your toolbox. Your soda bottle is quietly waiting to help you get it right the first time.