Casa Walsh

Do do do it yourself.

At our Oscar party, Lyette pointing to a quartet of fabric panels on the livingroom wall said, “Dude. Someone on the internet is selling these things for, like, $90.” I replied, “Seriously? I’m quitting my job.”

A couple days ago Daily Candy featured a designer hawking “Wall Art” – essentially Marimekko cotton fabric stretched over canvas frames and sold for $200-300.

“Wall Art”

Any of you who have been to my house will recognize the pattern. I can tell you that I bought a whole kitchen’s worth of Marrimeko fabric on eBay for less than the cost of the large wall hanging. I should say that this fabric from a dealer costs around $40 a yard (55″ x 36″). I found it for $10 a yard.

This picture isn’t very good. But the fabric on the walls really brightens up our dreary kitchen. The window wall looks great.

And those striped panels I have in the living room? Check this out:

More “Wall Art”

Do you like what you see? Do it yourself. In any dimension you want. Strecher bars are available in inch increments from 8” to 96” (8″ x 96″ would be a challenge. Let me know if you try it.).

Go to the fabric store (or eBay), choose a pattern you like, in a fabric you can’t see through, go to the art supply store, buy cheap balsa wood canvas stretchers (they can be light, you’re only supporting fabric) and a staple gun (or borrow mine; it’s red!).

Put together the strecher bars to make a square. Cut a peice of fabric to the dimensions of the frame, plus a couple inches on each side. Place the fabric wrong side up a towel, rug, or table top – any flat surface where the fabric won’t slide around. Place the frame in the center of the fabric and fold over each edge, keeping the fabric taught, and staple the fabric to the frame, starting with one staple in the center of each side. Staple every 1-2 inches, pulling the fabric and keeping the pattern straight.

Corners can be tricky. Leave about three inches unstapled on each side of the corner. Fold one side down flat and flush to the edge of the frame and staple in place. Tuck the other loose end under itself to form a 45 degree angle that matches the frame joint. Staple the fold. Repeat on each corner. Turn over, brush off towel fluff, and hang on the wall. If you use balsa wood strechers, the panels are light enough to hang on the wall with just two push pins, one at the top inside corners.

Do do do it yourself. Or send me money and I’ll do it for you.