Fabric Wall Art

This has got to be hands-down one of the quickest and least expensive ways to create art for your wall.

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Instant Art (well, almost)

If you happen to be blessed like me and have an artist for a daughter, there are a few pieces in your home that she has given you and with which you never would or could part.  Those pieces find a place in your home wherever you roam.

But there's the occasional time when you've accomplished a quite nice room redo when you realize you're coming up short with the final finishes, namely art for the wall.  And unfortunately, the budget has left little room for a piece of ready art.  My solution:  Go junking in your garage or another's; shop the discount stores for sale-priced art canvases; or better yet cover an old canvas that you no longer love or that no longer fits.

In this project I re-used a 20x30 art canvas that I was no longer using.

Here's what you need to make this project happen:

• The canvas of your choice
• A graphic or floral piece of fabric in a print and colors that go well with your room decor.  I like cotton duck upholstery fabric, and you'll need a piece that will strech three to four inches around the entire circumference of your canvas.  I found the piece in the above picture at  Hancock Fabrics, my hands-down favorite place to shop fabric at a great price.  They have rolls of drapery and upholstery fabric for $7 a yard.  So, with a couple of yards of fabric and an upcycled art frame,  you have a great piece of art for under $20.  You can't beat it!
  
• A staple gun with staples (of course)
• Scissors

Place the canvas turned down on the fabric with the right side of fabric also turned down on the workspace.  Trim the fabric so that it has at least three inches to stretch around the frame.  Begin to pull the fabric over to the back side of the frame, making sure if there are lines or squares or circles (as in above picture) that they are parallel with the bottom of your frame, and otherwise straight.  You don't want your graphics to make you feel as though you are on a rocking boat. Work around the entire frame, stapling the fabric in place, pulling it taut and stapling fabric to the frame until fabric is secure, then trimming any excess fabric.  Mitre the corners, by pulling in the point at the corner first, then pulling the sides down over the corner.

One more hint for the road:  If you are unsure about what colors you even want to use in a room redo, pick out fabric first!  Sometimes all it takes to be inspired is to find a beautiful piece of fabric that you absolutely love!

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