Decorating
Spotted! Fabrics, Stitches and Knots Weaving Magic on Walls
Wall-hangings that display time-honoured weaving and textile skills bring eye-catching style to your walls
Twisted and twined, braided, embroidered, knitted and knotted, tricked out with beads, buttons, feathers, twigs, tassels and shells, we’re loving the look of wall-hangings in bold freeform designs and textures that beg to be touched. Whether a dazzling one-off piece by a master artisan, a DIY project for clever crafty hands, decorative textile remnants enjoying a second life, or a lucky find in a vintage market, get inspired with these chunky charmers that turn walls into something special.
Give retro hangings a modern spin. Dip-dyeing is trending for walls, curtains, cushions, bedlinen and furniture. In a hanging, thick threads of cotton, wool, and linen take to dip-dyeing well, as the dye moves gradually up the fibres, fading as it goes. This technique looks great with currently popular shades of indigo, starting off in inky navy-black and finishing in a soft-washed blue – perfect for updating a well-loved piece.
Macrame with a twist
Macrame is back with a vengeance, although not everyone’s applauding. In its modern guise, it has ditched the fussy ’70s look and hits our walls with a bold and upbeat air, super-sized in irregular, angular shapes and decked out with twists of coarse fibres in today’s colours.
Read more about the comeback of macrame
Macrame is back with a vengeance, although not everyone’s applauding. In its modern guise, it has ditched the fussy ’70s look and hits our walls with a bold and upbeat air, super-sized in irregular, angular shapes and decked out with twists of coarse fibres in today’s colours.
Read more about the comeback of macrame
There are still many devotees of macrame as we knew it in the ‘pot-plant hanger’ era. Rather than the conventional thread cage for a pot, this clever hanger houses a hollow bamboo cylinder for a tiny plant.
Tip: Choose a background colour that makes the intricate knots and stitching stand out.
Tip: Choose a background colour that makes the intricate knots and stitching stand out.
Tribal skills
Many ethnic weaving techniques survive in all their unique patterns and tones. Kuba cloth, from the Republic of Congo, has gained a following outside the tribal lands for its richly-coloured patchwork style. Men of the tribe hand-roll raffia palm leaf fibres, apply natural dyes and weave the basic cloth. Women then apply patches, embroidery and appliqué. The cloths are traditionally used as skirts, wraps, sleeping mats and even currency. In the West, they appear as cushions and upholstery. Make the most of their intense earthy colours and idiosyncratic stitching by hanging them on the wall.
Tip: Many tribal textiles are brittle and dyes aren’t always colour-fast. Wall-hangings shouldn’t require washing, just an occasional light brushing. If needed, cold wash by hand in gentle soap and dry flat. Never iron, as plant fibres may burn.
Many ethnic weaving techniques survive in all their unique patterns and tones. Kuba cloth, from the Republic of Congo, has gained a following outside the tribal lands for its richly-coloured patchwork style. Men of the tribe hand-roll raffia palm leaf fibres, apply natural dyes and weave the basic cloth. Women then apply patches, embroidery and appliqué. The cloths are traditionally used as skirts, wraps, sleeping mats and even currency. In the West, they appear as cushions and upholstery. Make the most of their intense earthy colours and idiosyncratic stitching by hanging them on the wall.
Tip: Many tribal textiles are brittle and dyes aren’t always colour-fast. Wall-hangings shouldn’t require washing, just an occasional light brushing. If needed, cold wash by hand in gentle soap and dry flat. Never iron, as plant fibres may burn.
The owner of this Brooklyn loft has hung a treasured rustic piece on an exposed brick wall. His parents bought the mohair wall-hanging, made by Sotho artisans, on a trip to South Africa in the 1970s.
Dream catchers were made for centuries by Native American Indians and originated with the North American Ojibwe people. Originally, a willow hoop held a loosely woven web of deer sinew and was decorated with owl or eagle feathers. According to legend, bad dreams were snared in the web and good dreams drifted through the hole, to glide down the feathers. These intriguing and delicate objects were made to hang over sleeping children. You can source them through New Age shops, though they probably won’t be genuine artefacts from the hands of an Ojibwe artisan.
Tip: A group hung on a wall looks great, but won’t stop bad dreams.
Tip: A group hung on a wall looks great, but won’t stop bad dreams.
Authentic artisan-woven tribal textiles from developing countries can fetch high prices – hopefully a respectable share finds its way back to the makers through Fair Trade agreements. However, traditional designs, such as suzani, Mexican otomi, shibori and batik, are being replicated by today’s fabric designers. If originals are out of your budget, you can still get the look for less with lengths of modern patterned cloth hung on a simple timber rail. This Navajo-inspired fabric hanging was made by the creative owner of the home.
Warmth for walls
Texture reigns supreme in hangings made from big, bunchy handfuls of undyed fibres. Mixed with fragments of vintage rugs, bulky knots and twists of leather on a rustic timber rod, they celebrate our return to natural organic materials in our homes. Specialist yarn suppliers sell undyed, unspun yarn in fabulous textures for home weavers.
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Texture reigns supreme in hangings made from big, bunchy handfuls of undyed fibres. Mixed with fragments of vintage rugs, bulky knots and twists of leather on a rustic timber rod, they celebrate our return to natural organic materials in our homes. Specialist yarn suppliers sell undyed, unspun yarn in fabulous textures for home weavers.
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In contemporary spaces with clean angles, hard surfaces and a cool minimal colour palette, introducing a striking retro feature with soft, hand-knotted textures brings warmth and character. This room without the showy hanging centre stage would be very elegant, but maybe a little too sleek. The ’70s-style focus lifts it to another level, subtly referencing another 20th century element, a Hans Wegner Shell Chair.
For maximum impact, steer clear of dainty stitching and go for a big, fat and chunky look. Despite its petite size, this hanging is a wild and woolly showpiece hung on an old window frame in a vintage-inspired home.
Knitting supply shops sell knitting needles the size of broomsticks – up to 3.5 centimetres in diameter and 100 centimetres long. These are brilliant for DIYing a wall-hanging in unspun wool or multiple twists of thick cotton yarn. Make it as free-form as you like and dress it up with contrasting shades, a generous tangled fringe and a rustic branch and natural jute rope for hanging.
Knitting supply shops sell knitting needles the size of broomsticks – up to 3.5 centimetres in diameter and 100 centimetres long. These are brilliant for DIYing a wall-hanging in unspun wool or multiple twists of thick cotton yarn. Make it as free-form as you like and dress it up with contrasting shades, a generous tangled fringe and a rustic branch and natural jute rope for hanging.
A stitch in time
Antique and vintage textiles may be too fragile and precious to use as bed or cushion covers. Display them in pride of place, but out of harm’s way, on a wall where their beauty can be appreciated. Factors such as temperature, sunlight, humidity and dust cause deterioration. For a treasured piece, consult a textile conservator for advice on mounting, framing, hanging, mending and cleaning.
Antique and vintage textiles may be too fragile and precious to use as bed or cushion covers. Display them in pride of place, but out of harm’s way, on a wall where their beauty can be appreciated. Factors such as temperature, sunlight, humidity and dust cause deterioration. For a treasured piece, consult a textile conservator for advice on mounting, framing, hanging, mending and cleaning.
If an antique woven floor rug or vintage fabric is damaged beyond saving, hang on to some fragments and turn them into wall-hangings with a story to tell. Copy the idea on this nursery wall, which shows off a scrap of colourful carpet strung with rustic branches.
Browse more nursery ideas
Browse more nursery ideas
Flashback
The 1970s were hippy heaven for wall-hangings, and a forage in a vintage goods shop may turn up treasures from the era. Usually backed with canvas or hessian, trees were popular subjects, with embroidered branches and cut loop or felted woolly foliage. These humble examples of fibre art may very well be antiques of the future.
The 1970s were hippy heaven for wall-hangings, and a forage in a vintage goods shop may turn up treasures from the era. Usually backed with canvas or hessian, trees were popular subjects, with embroidered branches and cut loop or felted woolly foliage. These humble examples of fibre art may very well be antiques of the future.
Going up
Many people believe rugs belong under your feet. For the rest of us, why not try a textural beauty in bright, cheerful colour blocks to boost a room with a large blank wall. Comb your cupboards for other items that would look good on a wall – a vibrant sarong or tablecloth, chunky bed throw or quilt, or maybe a collage of decorative tea towels stitched together.
Tip: With a rectangular rug, experiment to find the best way to show off the pattern and fit the wall shape. Heavier rugs need a pocket to hold a sturdy rod wider than the rug, and brackets screwed securely to wall battens to distribute the weight evenly and support the shape.
Many people believe rugs belong under your feet. For the rest of us, why not try a textural beauty in bright, cheerful colour blocks to boost a room with a large blank wall. Comb your cupboards for other items that would look good on a wall – a vibrant sarong or tablecloth, chunky bed throw or quilt, or maybe a collage of decorative tea towels stitched together.
Tip: With a rectangular rug, experiment to find the best way to show off the pattern and fit the wall shape. Heavier rugs need a pocket to hold a sturdy rod wider than the rug, and brackets screwed securely to wall battens to distribute the weight evenly and support the shape.
Homegrown hangings
Let your crafty self loose for original and cheap hangings. Tear or cut-and-fringe a coarse fabric like unbleached calico into squares and have fun with dyes and house paint. These blasé boho hangings are shibori-style, a technique that binds the cloth with thread before dyeing with indigo tones, but you could use up old acrylic house paint with a few sweeping strokes from a wide brush. Just let them hang free.
Are wall hangings the new bedhead?
Let your crafty self loose for original and cheap hangings. Tear or cut-and-fringe a coarse fabric like unbleached calico into squares and have fun with dyes and house paint. These blasé boho hangings are shibori-style, a technique that binds the cloth with thread before dyeing with indigo tones, but you could use up old acrylic house paint with a few sweeping strokes from a wide brush. Just let them hang free.
Are wall hangings the new bedhead?
Every crafter I know has a stash of fabric scraps squirrelled away for that perfect project. Put them to good use by stitching them together in a quirky patchwork to hang on your wall. Basic patchwork is easy to pick up. Use a wide zigzag machine stitch and add some home-grown imperfections with hand stitching in thick contrasting thread.
TELL US
Do you have any woven wonders on your walls? Tell us about them in the Comments section.
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Read up on more decorating ideas
TELL US
Do you have any woven wonders on your walls? Tell us about them in the Comments section.
MORE
Read up on more decorating ideas
There has been a recent revival in ‘fibre art’ for walls. Specialist weavers, like the Australian Tapestry Workshop, are collaborating with modern artists to turn art into stitched masterpieces to adorn walls in homes and public spaces. The mid-century modern period produced many innovative tapestries interpreting the styles of artists such as Picasso, Mondrian and Kandinsky. Mid-century luminary Le Corbusier turned his hand to tapestry design and this exciting piece hangs in a Manhattan home.
Did you know? A superb Le Corbusier tapestry, ‘Les Dés Sont Jetés’ (The Dice Are Cast), designed at the request of architect Jorn Utzon for the Sydney Opera House, was purchased last year from Utzon’s estate with donations from supporters for $400,000. It now hangs in the Western Foyers.