2016 Trends: Go from Blank to Beautiful with Fabric Wall Art

Just moved into a new apartment? Upgraded to a bigger house? Take a moment to congratulate yourself—moving is a big deal! Okay, now that you’ve patted yourself on the back, it’s time to get down to business. After all, that blank wall space isn’t going to decorate itself!

Fabric wall art, however, comes pretty close to that—it’s faster than painting and covers a lot of space in a pinch. Plus it’s pretty easy on the funds, so it’s great if you’re still reeling from moving expenses. And we’re not talking about turning your home into a head shop here—there are as many different looks as there are fabric patterns, no matter whether your style of choice is boho or French rococo. To get you started, we’ve put together a sampling of some of the best ideas we’ve seen.

But first, a quick note on pattern mixing. If you get really into this project and want to pair seven different fabrics, by all means, let your designing imagination run wild! However, there are a couple of guidelines you can use to keep things from feeling too intense. First, make sure to match your whites—don’t mix a pattern with ivory accents with one with cream, for instance. And consider color intensities—for example, pastel pink doesn’t pair well with lime green. That being said, let’s get started!

Canvas Panels

Fabric stapled around a piece of foam board or artist’s canvas can fill up a wall in a way that’s both graceful and quick. In fact, looking at this photo, we’re thinking that it might make a creative bedboard too, as long as you nailed it down. Three is the magic number here—it adds a feeling of harmonious balance.

Asymmetrical

Not into the orderly museum look of a row of fabric panels? An asymmetrical pairing can take things up a notch on the edginess scale. This is a good option if you’re in love with a single fabric.

Embroidery Hoops

Too hip to be square? Embroidery hoops easily lend a whimsical touch to your decor, especially in these fun patterns—which makes them perfect for a nursery or kid’s room! We also love how these floral patterns give the beadboard background a vintage wallpaper feel.

As a Gallery Wall

We dig a good gallery wall—and fabric art is a great way to do it on the cheap (all those frames can add up!). The layering in this one is a new twist—one that absolutely works for this space.

As a Vertical Quilt

While a rewarding hobby, not all of us have time to spend hand-making a quilt. This idea—framed squares of complementary fabric—lets you get all the crafty coziness of a quilted wall hanging with none of the time spent slaving over the sewing machine.

As a Grown-up Mobile

With hip geometric shapes and sophisticated unpredictable color palettes, mobiles are moving out of nurseries and finding their place in grown-up rooms. Fabric scraps are held together here by one straight line of stitches sewn through the middle of the pieces. This strategy would probably make a great garland for a doorway as well—so many decorating possibilities in one simple idea!