Fabric Wall Covering Room by Room : Episode RXR-901 -- More Projects »
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Put fabric on walls with starch for a unique look. This can be removed easily and reused if desired.
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Materials:fabric of choice (designer-weight fabrics work best)
liquid fabric starch
large container
sponge
level
measuring tape
utility knife
straightedge
plastic drop cloths
fabric drop cloths
masking tape
wallpaper brush Steps: - Start by deciding where you are going to place the fabric, and what fabric to use. Tip: Below or above a chair rail is a good place to start for a beginner because 54-inch-wide designer fabric can be difficult to work with on an entire wall. If you decide to do a whole wall or an entire room, make sure to have a little help.
- Since fabrics can shrink when washed, prewash fabric if you intend to remove it at some time to take with you and reuse again. If not, washing it isn't necessary. If the selected fabric has a pattern, start by determining the lengths of each panel. Cut a few out to get ahead of the game and keep pattern matching in mind as you go.
- Tape plastic to baseboards, and then put fabric drop cloths on top of that to absorb any dripping starch and protect floors.
- Just as with wallcoverings, you want to hang the fabric straight. Start in an inconspicuous corner and measure out from the corner about 1/2 inch shorter than the fabric width. Measure the design area only, not the selvages. At this mark, draw a level vertical line with a pencil.
Wear gloves to protect hands from drying out and submerge the first panel of fabric into the tub of starch (figure A).
Move it around to make sure it is well coated. Pull it out and lightly squeeze off some of the starch, being careful not to remove too much or the fabric won't stick to the wall. Take the first piece to the corner that's been marked as level, and line up the panel edge with the level line. If desired, use a few tacks at the top of the fabric until everything is lined up just right. Use a sponge and wallpaper brush or your hands to smooth the fabric out, just like wallpaper (figure B). Smooth bubbles, but be careful not to squeeze out so much of the starch that the fabric won't stick. One edge of the fabric should be going around the corner. Leave this if you intend to do all four walls, as it will be cut off later. Once the first piece is up, remove the tacks at the top and start trimming off the excess at the top and bottom using a straightedge and utility knife. Change the blade after one or two cuts to keep them clean. The second panel requires a few new skills. Soak it in starch like before, and lightly ring it out. Keep the pattern match in mind and head for the wall. Overlap panel two onto panel one. (Double cutting through the two layers will eventually cut off the selvages). For now, use tacks to help hold the match and the fabric in place. Smooth the panel out like before and trim the excess off the top and bottom.
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
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Place straightedge vertically along the line of the selvage on panel two, looking underneath to make sure that when it's cut, all of the selvage on panel one will be cut as well. Cut all the way down and remove the top selvage (figure C). Lift up the edge of panel two and remove the selvage from panel one (figure D). Press down the edge of panel two for a perfect match (figure E). The remainder of the panels should go on just like panel two. It's easy to cut out for corners and outlets with scissors and a utility knife. If there is a large wrap around at a corner, it's best to cut the fabric to wrap only 1/2 inch and start the rest of that panel right in the corner, overlapping the fabric. This will obviously mess up the match in the corner, but it does help you to stay vertically level along the next wall. If it's been a couple of days since this project was started, the last panel you add will be butting up in the corner to a panel that is perfectly dry from days before. Overlap it and cut your last panel to fit in the corner. Or, if you try the double cutting routine that you've been doing so far, it may be a little tougher getting the old selvage off cleanly. Don't disturb the part of the panel that stays, or you'll need to restarch that area and press it back down.
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