Framed Fabric Wall Art

In the living room of our apartment we painted the longest wall in the room a deep rusty orange. In order to make this bold statement wall flow well with the rest of the space I wanted to choose some colorful artwork. I happened to have a TON of fabric samples from my time as a design student, so I decided to gather a bunch of photo frames and use the fabric to make an original piece of wall art.

First I had to select which fabric I wanted to use. I chose some orange tone fabrics, (similar to the wall color) some neutrals, and some graphic prints. It’s important not to get too matchy-matchy, I wanted fabrics that related to each other but had a lot of variation (different scales, values, textures, colors, etc.)

Making these frames is extremely easy, just cut the fabric to the appropriate size using the glass or cardboard insert to measure. Remember to consider the pattern when cutting so it is is straight and centered.

Once cut to the appropriate size slide the fabric into the frame. I chose to use all black frames, some of which I painted to match.

When all of my pieces of fabric were cut and framed I started playing with arrangement. I laid them all out on my floor and tried several different layouts before deciding on this one. I wanted them to look asymmetrical but balanced.

In the end I was very happy with how it turned out. The frames definitely bring out the orange from the wall, and they have added a lot of visual interest to our dining area.