DIY Painted Fabric Wall Hanging Craft Project
You will need:
Pre Primed Canvas (Or fabric of Your Choice)
Paint (Acrylic on Pre Primed Canvas, Fabric Paint on any other type of fabric)
Stencil of Your Choice
Blue Painter’s Tape
Variety of Paint Brushes (Foam Roller, 3″ Bristle, Round Stencil Brush)
No Sew
Straight Pins
Sewing Machine or Needle and Thread
Curtain rod
Hardware to attach to wall
To start your painted fabric wall hanging you will need to first cut your canvas fabric out to size. I recommend using already primed or gessoed canvas so that you can eliminate the need to prime your fabric. This will save you time and money while making this paint wall hanging project. You can by canvas for as little as $3 a yard. I find it at m local fabric store as well as at my local art supply store. If you live near the water, boat supply stores usually carry canvas as well. If you want to complete this wall hanging project on another type of fabric, use fabric paint. Cut your wall hanging fabric based on the size of your stencil. If you aren’t using a stencil then cut your fabric to the size you wish.
Quick Tip: You can easily resize a stencil if does not fit the dimensions that you need. First trace your existing stencil onto a white piece of paper with a black market. Take the tracing to Kinko’s and have it blown up to size. Then trace the stencil onto a clear piece of plastic acetate. Now, cut out the pattern with a very sharp razor blade or exacto knife. This is an easy way to resize an existing stencil into the perfect size for a large wall hanging.
Once your wall hanging fabric is cut out you can fold the rough edges behind it. Iron them down flat and use a product like no sew to hold them in place. You could also sew these rough edges down as well.
Next, you will need to cut out strips of canvas or a new accent fabric to make the tab tops that the wall hanging project will hang from. When doing this portion of the wall hanging project keep in mind how tab top window panels look. It will help you with spacing and how thick your tabs should be. Cut you canvas or accent fabric out in strips about 5″ wide and about 6 to 10″ long. You will need to determine how many you need. Most like you will want to have one spaced every couple of inches.
Lay your strips of fabric out and fold the edges of rough fabric in lengthwise. Have the fabric meet each other and no sew them down. This will hide the rough edges and leave you with a 3-inch wide strip of fabric that is still 6 to 10″ long.
You are now ready to attach your tabs or loops to the wall hanging project. I recommend sewing them on for added strength. If you must use a product like no sew I recommend also using fabric glue for added support. Loop your fabric strips to create the tab top and space them evenly along the back of your wall hanging fabric. Start by placing one tab lined up directly with the left edge of the wall hanging and one lined up flush with the right edge of the wall hanging. Take the remainder of your tab tops and space them out evenly between the two. Hold these in place with straight pins. Now, sew along the top of the wall hanging. I recommend sewing this line twice for added support.
Now for the fun part of the wall hanging project: the painting. Paint the entire wall hanging in one solid color. If you used canvas for the tabs paint them as well. Allow this paint to dry over night. If you have chosen to paint on a colorful fabric that already has pattern or color you can skip this step.
Create a border by using painters tape to tape off the edges of your wall hanging. For larger wall hangings add drama by making a really deep border. Paint this a solid color and allow o dry. You can embellish it with other colors once it has dried. Geometric patters are easy to do with painter’s tape and a ruler.
You are now ready to paint the focal point of your fabric wall hanging project. You can find great stencils at Michaels Arts and Crafts, Pearl art supply store, Dick Blick, and even online. www.designerstencils.com, www.finelinestencils.com, and www.stencilsearch.com all have a great selection of stencils in many different designs. You could also use stencils to enhance the painted border on your fabric wall hanging.
Lay you stencil centered in the border you have painted. Hold it in place with painters tape. Start stenciling. Once you have finished allow this to dry over night. You can also free hand this portion of the fabric wall hanging project if you wish.
Once the entire wall hanging is dry you are ready to hang it on the wall. This type of wall hanging looks great over a fireplace, sofa, or kitchen table. Hang a curtain rod centered over one of these locations in your home. Slide the wall hanging on like you would a curtain and enjoy.
