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Have you been looking at blank walls all year? Well you don’t have to live with boring walls anymore. A common perception is that good art is expensive and the only option for art is the teeny tiny stick people paintings and mosaic available at most Maasai markets. Fabric wall art is an easy DIY project that can transform your home in an instant.
Fabric art can be done by fabric panels or by framing fabric in an actual picture frame.
Fabric panels
Fabric panels are wooden frames covered with fabric to make art. The frames can be any shape but rectangles and squares are easier to tack fabric into. The fabric you use will depend on the story you want to tell. You can select from Ankara fabric, lesso fabric, a vintage blouse you no longer wear, plain cotton fabric, upholstery fabric.
To make fabric panels you will need:
1. Scissors
2. A good length of fabric
3. Unpainted wooden frames also referred to as panels
4. Staple gun tucker
5. A tape measure
6. A good eye
Steps
Order your wooden panels. Any “fundi” can make these for you from as little as Sh500 depending on the size you need. Take measurements on your wall beforehand (good wall art should cover a wall proportionately to avoid the postage stamp look- tiny art on a big wall).
If you have a drill and wood screws you can also make the panels from scratch.
To cover panels, take measurements on the fabric. Include a good allowance for tucking on the underside. Cut the desired measurement. Lay on a flat surface. Place the wooden panel on the fabric. Gently but tautly tuck on the underside while pinning down with a staple gun. When you are done tacking your panel is ready for hanging, simple!
Framed fabric art
A second way to glam up your walls is to frame the fabric inside a picture frame. This is a quick way to add a statement to your walls, instantly. You can frame a tablemat, an old handkerchief, a scarf, a piece cut from random fabric, a huge piece of Ankara!
Your choice of picture frames will depend on your design style. If you cant find a frame in a colour you like, spray-paint from Nakumatt is all you need for a new colour and look. Frame the fabric just like you would a picture.
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