A modern interior setup features a lamp, a black and white geometric framed print, DIY fabric wall art with a textured pattern, and two potted plants on a white shelf. The arrangement is minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing.
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How to Make Easy DIY Fabric Wall Art Two Ways

ByLisa

Wall art can be expensive and you all know I am the kind of person who is all about saving money when I can! Enter DIY fabric wall art! Creating your own art is not only a rewarding craft project, but an easy way to customize a piece for your home decor in a creative way. Of all my DIY projects, I have repeated this one over and over. I will show you how to transform blank walls with simple wood frames and pieces of fabric into beautiful wall art in this tutorial.

A decorative wall showcases DIY fabric wall art above a wooden sideboard adorned with potted plants, a framed geometric print, and a modern black wire décor piece. The text on the image reads "DIY fabric wall art two ways!.

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When I designed the bunk room I had a difficult time deciding on art for above the desk. In fact I even thought I might do floating shelves or an art ledge like the family room. But when I stumbled upon some textured placemats at HomeGoods and a small cotton rug at IKEA, I knew they were both destined to be art and compliment each other.

A modern interior showcases a dark green wall adorned with DIY fabric wall art arranged in a grid. Below, a sleek white desk hosts a matching lamp, a small green potted plant, and a decorative white sculpture. A hint of a bunk bed peeks from the left.

DIY Fabric Wall Art

In this tutorial I am going to show you how to make your own DIY fabric wall art two ways! One using frames and one using an old canvas. Bonus, both methods include IKEA Hacks! I mean are you really that surprised? 

DIY Fabric Wall Art Using Frames and Placemats

Materials

Picture Frame (black & gold )
Placemats or fabric
Painters Tape 
Scissors

Step 1 – Choose the Frames  

First thing is to choose the frames you want to use. This should be done prior to choosing your fabric to ensure you have enough fabric for the project. The size of frame you use is up to you. You can use a large picture frame or a small one. I chose to use four medium sized frames, two black frames and two gold frames from IKEA that are very close in size and quite affordable. 

Four picture frames displayed on a patterned black and white rug bring an artistic touch to DIY fabric wall art. Two frames are gold, two are black, and behind them stands a wooden bed frame without a mattress, awaiting its cozy finishing touches.

Step 2 – Choose the Fabric 

Next stop is to choose the fabric you would like to use. This can be almost anything! A remanent from an upholstery project or other home decor projects, a sentimental piece, or a beautiful fabric you find at your local fabric store. The choice is yours. I used placemats and a cotton rug that complimented each other and the color pallet in the bunk room. Both were very inexpensive.   

A black and white patterned rug is placed on a dark wooden floor, partially unrolled with a label attached. Nearby, a light-colored wooden cabinet with drawers offers the perfect spot to showcase DIY fabric wall art.

Step 3 – Cut the Fabric

Next you will need to cut your fabric down to the desired size. If you are using picture frames with mats like I did you can simply place your fabric on top of the mat and make sure the backside of the fabric covers the entire opening of the mat. You can also measure your fabric with a measuring tape, but I didn’t think that was necessary. I was able to eye ball it pretty easily.    

Step 4 – Tape the Fabric Down

To make sure there is no saggy fabric, I always tape down the edges of fabric to the back of the picture frame mat with painters tape. I prefer to use painters tape because it can be repositioned without ripping off the paper on the mat. 

A DIY fabric wall art featuring a black dotted pattern is framed with a gold edge. It's fixed to a white board using blue tape and placed on a textured, beige and black patterned carpet.

Step 5 – Hang the Fabric Wall Art

Once your fabric is secure in the frame and the back of the frame is attached, hang your art! I like to use a tape measure for this part to make sure all my frames line up. I alternated the patterns and the frames to make a cohesive grid pattern above my IKEA Rast desk hack. 

Minimalist workspace with a white desk, metal chair, and a wooden drawer unit. A lamp, small plant, and statue sit on the desk. Four framed abstract artworks adorn a dark green wall, including DIY fabric wall art. A built-in wooden feature with bedding is adjacent.

Pro Tip: To keep your art from shifting and becoming off kilter, use a small piece of this putty in the center of each side of the back of each frame and stick it to the wall. No more crooked art! 

DIY Fabric Wall Art Using a Canvas and IKEA Rug

Materials

Large Art Canvas
Rug or fabric
Staple Gun 
Scissors

Step 1 – Choose a Canvas  

First you will want to choose your canvas. You can buy one new or used at your favorite thrift store. I had one on hand from a previous art project gone horribly wrong, lol! This is from my red phase….. You just want to make sure your canvas is already stretched on a wooden frame.

A large abstract painting featuring swirling red brush strokes on a canvas propped against a dark wooden cabinet. The vibrant red artwork contrasts with the neutral background and dark furniture, creating an effect reminiscent of DIY fabric wall art.

Step 2 – Choose the Fabric 

Next up is to choose the fabric you would like to use. Like I said above, this can be almost anything! If you choose to make a larger art piece like I did you will need a larger piece of fabric. I used a cheap cotton rug with a simple pattern that I found at IKEA. This is the IKEA Tiphede. I even had enough to make a few framed pieces of art with the leftover. 

Folded white and black speckled curtain, perfect for DIY fabric wall art, tied with string and placed on a dark wooden floor. A label on the fabric reads "TIPHEDE" along with product details.

Step 3 – Cut the Fabric

Next you will need to cut your fabric down to the desired size. The easiest way to do this is to lay out the fabric right side down and place your canvas on it upside down. You will want to leave several inches of excess on each side so you can wrap it around the canvas. You can always trim extra fabric off but you cannot add more. Trim to the desired size. 

Step 4 – Staple the Fabric to the Canvas

Before you add any staples to the canvas frame, make sure your fabric is pulled taught under the canvas. You do not want any wrinkles. I usually start on one side and staple it down and then move to the opposite side of the canvas and pull it taught and staple. You will need a heavy duty staple gun for this part especially if you use a rug like I did which is thicker fabric. 

A person is upholstering a rectangular cushion with beige fabric on a patterned rug, creating the perfect accent for their DIY fabric wall art. They use a staple gun to secure the material to the cushion's backside, with a measuring tape and cardboard piece visible nearby.

When you get to the corners you will want to treat this as though you are wrapping a present. 

Step 5 – Hang or Display the Fabric Wall Art

Hang or display your new art! I chose to display mine on my IKEA Kallax hack and simply lean it against the wall. However, you can definitely hang it or even frame it if you would like. 

A modern room showcases a white sideboard with wood-paneled doors on slim legs. It elegantly displays DIY fabric wall art, a framed geometric print, and a potted fern. A black and gold lamp completes the look, while the floor is adorned with a patterned rug.

​No matter what you decide the final result will be a custom piece of DIY fabric art!

Types of Fabric to Make Art From  

The possibilities here are truly endless! While I used placemats and a thin rug to make my DIY wall art, there are a variety of options to customize your art piece. And the best part is there is no wrong way to do this. If you sew a lot or do frequent fabric projects, you may even have fabric pieces on hand from your fabric stock that would be a perfect fit. 

You could easily use a tea towel, a beautiful floral linen fabric, a sentimental handkerchief, a table runner, a piece of lace from a wedding dress, a monogramed piece of fabric, or simply a beautiful print that speaks to you at the fabric store. It can be new fabric or old as long as the finished piece makes you happy! The type of fabric you use is entirely up to you. 

For this project I used two types of fabric. For the gallery wall above the desk I chose two different fabrics in the same color scheme that I snagged for less than $30 in total! The first was a set of placemats I found at Home Goods and the other was a small cotton fabric rug from IKEA. The rug was the perfect way to create a large art piece without spending a fortune on yards of fabric. 

When to Use Fabric Art

Fabric art is a great way to get a custom piece of art for a little bit of money. And even if you aren’t on a tight budget, you can still make a really cool DIY project with gorgeous fabric. Fabric art is the perfect solution to art dilemmas of all kinds. 

Wedding Decor – Weddings can cost a fortune these days and if you have planned one recently you know the second you add the word wedding to it, the cost triples! With just a few inches of fabric and some dollar store frames you can create beautiful table numbers or a seating chart. You could even make a DIY message board with cardstock and some push pins for your guests to write well wishes to the new couple. A few simple applications of fabric art can transform a wedding into a fairy tale day!

Dorm Rooms – Decorating a dorm room can feel impossible when most of the walls are usually concrete. And even though a year in the dorms is usually only 9 months, no one wants to live with a cold boring wall. With a glorious yard of fabric and some poster board you can create a multitude of DIY wall hangings that can be hung with two sided tape or putty. Totally renter/dorm room friendly! 

Gallery Walls – As you can see, a few different patterns of fabric can come together with simple wooden frames to make a beautiful piece of wall art for less than $75! You can also use fabric to accent a gallery wall of photography, printable art, or watercolor paintings!

Decorating a New Home – Just like with weddings, buying a new home can set you back financially. If you need to give your wallet some time to recover but don’t want to spend your first few years looking at blank living room, dining room, or bedroom walls, give fabric art a try! If nothing else it will hold you over until you can afford expensive frames and new home decor. 

Regardless of the room you are decorating, the fabric you choose, or the budget you are working with,  DIY art with fabric is an affordable and custom option. Would you try this in your home? 

A modern interior with a dark green wall showcases DIY fabric wall art in gold and black frames. Below, a white desk holds a marble lamp, a small plant, and a black chair. The desk's drawers feature a wood texture.

A modern interior scene showcases a white console table adorned with a geometric black and white framed artwork, a lamp with a black base, and a lush green plant in a black pot. A DIY fabric wall art panel adds texture as it leans gracefully against the wall.

A modern office corner features a white desk with a sleek metal chair. Above the desk, four framed abstract artworks include DIY fabric wall art, adding a personal touch. A sculptural white lamp and a small plant decorate the desk. The dark green wall complements the minimalist vibe perfectly.

Looking for more wall art ideas? Check out these 5 easy DIY ideas! 

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A modern, minimalist room featuring a wooden console with geometric-patterned artwork, a bronze lamp with a white shade, and a green plant. Above hangs DIY fabric wall art in neutral tones, complementing the patterned rug below.

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A modern interior showcases DIY fabric wall art, with a dresser topped by a black lamp and framed art. A large fabric panel stands beside lush greenery, while four framed fabric pieces adorn the dark green wall. Website text is elegantly positioned at the bottom.

This post, How to Make Easy DIY Fabric Wall Art Two Ways, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

 

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