How to Frame Fabric: 3 Tips for Using Textile Art as Decor

Framed fabric involves adding a piece of decorative fabric, textile, or stretched canvas to a picture frame and then using the piece of art as a wall hanging. One of the benefits of framing fabric is that it can be an inexpensive DIY project that can result in wall art for your living room, dining room, bedroom, or any other room in your home or office.

A second benefit of framed fabric is that you can easily change up your interior decor, as you can trade out wall hangings with relative ease. If you have a room in need of a makeover, try searching fabric stores and thrift stores for interesting textiles and inexpensive picture frames.

There are few rules in DIY wall art, and if you want to spruce up your walls with framed textile art, you might find your only limiting factor is your wall space. In general, you should feel free to let your own creativity be your guide. But here are three home decor principles you can consider using to help you achieve the best results:

1. 1. Choose complementary materials. When framing fabric, you might want to choose a picture frame that complements the fabric style and your overall home design. For example, antique frames might work well in a Victorian-style home, while sleek ones might better suit a modern abode. That said, if your own preferences make you feel like mixing and matching styles, allow yourself to experiment. As long as you decorate with intention, the space will undoubtedly reflect your personality and style sensibilities.
2. 2. Consider scale. Follow design principles for scale and proportion when choosing the size of a piece of fabric and the size of the pattern. For example, you should avoid hanging a very small piece of canvas art on a very large wall—unless, of course, you’re trying to make an intentional artistic statement.
3. 3. Think beyond plain fabric. In addition to using interesting fabric swatches, you can also use materials such as cross-stitch canvases (framed or unframed), upholstery, or art quilts. You can even consider printing your favorite photographs on canvas or other fabrics for an extra-unique piece of textile art.

Framing and hanging your DIY wall art project can be relatively straightforward as long as you spend some valuable time prepping and gathering the right tools. Follow these steps to frame and hang your fabric art projects:

• Gather your materials. Choose a frame, your favorite fabric, a stretcher canvas or mat board, and assorted hardware and tools—such as a hammer, staple gun, glue gun, picture hanging hardware, and wall screws.
• Flatten the fabric. Iron your fabric or canvas to remove any creases.
• Assemble your fabric art. Stretch the fabric over stretcher bars or attach the fabric to a heavy-duty mat board or backing board. Then glue or staple the fabric to the backing material. Insert the fabric art into the back of the frame and secure the fabric to the frame using the appropriate framing hardware.
• Hang your art. You can find an assortment of picture-hanging hardware at your local hardware store. Consult the retailer or another professional for the right hardware for your purposes. Finally, attach your framed fabric art to the wall and enjoy your new decor.

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