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Hanging Fabric on Walls

Decorating Your Walls with Fabric

I am going to hang fabric on one wall of my children’s bedroom. I figure I will need three strips, each 3 yards long.

As I hang it, the sides of the design will have the selvage edge on them. If I want to line up my design, when I hang up my next piece, I will have to cut that off.

Problem: if I cut that off, line up my design and it shrinks while drying there will be a gap.

What do you suggest?

Terri

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You can use regular wallpaper paste to hang fabric or, if the fabric is lightweight (like polished cotton or chintz), craft fabric starch or stiffener.

The advantages of starch are ease of application, less mess and ease of removal. When you tire of the fabric or need to deep clean it, just peel away a corner and slowly strip it off. If it doesn’t come away easily, dampen with a sponge first. It’s also easier to smooth out bubbles from fabric with the starch method.

The answer to your shrinkage question is the same whether you use starch or wallpaper paste. Measure from floor to ceiling and add three inches to determine the length of your panels. Cut the first panel with an eye to how you want the design to be positioned on the wall.

Lay panel one on the floor and line up the remaining fabric to match the pattern, allowing one inch for overlap. [I’m assuming the selvage is less than ½ inch. If it is wider, you will need more overlap.]

Cut panel two. Repeat the process for panel three.

Hang panel one, leaving 1 ½ inch extra at the top and bottom (to be trimmed later).

Hang panel two, matching the pattern and overlapping the edges as needed. Hang panel three in the same manner.

Allow the fabric to dry completely so that any shrinkage will have occurred before you trim. Use a metal straightedge and very sharp craft knife to cut away the excess fabric at the top and bottom.

Lay the straightedge vertically along the center of the overlap and use the craft knife to cut from top to bottom. Be sure to slice completely through both layers of fabric.

The ½ inch strip of overlap on top should practically fall off on its own. Next gently reach underneath to grasp and strip away the bottom ½ inch piece of overlap.

You may need to apply a little more adhesive or starch to the area that was stuck to the fabric you just removed (rather than to the wall). Then press it gently against the wall for a virtually invisible seam.

Here is an article about covering a wall with fabric using starch.

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