How to Make a Quilt Design Wall
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Time to read 5 min
One of my all-time favorite quilting design tools is my quilt design wall . Of all the gadgets I've bought over the years, this is the tool I use on a daily basis to see my quilt layouts and plan patchwork designs. A well-built quilt design wall allows you to:
- Arrange quilt blocks easily without pinning.
- Has space to allow you to step back and see the quilt from a distance.
- Helps you pick colors and fabrics to compliment your quilt blocks.
- Generally improves your patchwork and design skills with every quilt!
💡 Did you know
The best part about a quilt design wall is you can build them yourself with materials you can find easily at your local hardware store and Walmart . In my opinion, if you're serious about quilting and want to design your own quilts, a design wall design is an essential tool for success!
Jump Ahead in this Quilt Design Wall Guide:
Introduction Quilt Design Wall Supply List Video - Make A Quilt Design Wall in 60 Seconds Make a Quilt Design Wall Step-by-Step Step 1 - Measure Your Wall Step 2 - Cut the Boards to Fit Step 3 - Cut Your Fabric Step 4 - Pin the Fabric to the Wall Step 5 - Secure Your Design Wall My Quilt Design Wall Helped Create All of these Quilt Patterns! Conclusion
Quilt Design Wall Supply List
- 1-inch x 4 ft x 8 ft Polystyrene Board - This can also be called Insulation Sheeting or Insulation Board
- 1-inch long straight pins or staples and a heavy duty stapler
- Cotton Flannel Fabric
- Affiliate - You could make two 4 x 8-foot quilt design walls with the sheets included in this full sized set on Amazon.
- I also covered two polystyrene boards with one king sized (90 x 96 inch) Minky blanket found at Walmart.
- Alternatively, you could use 60-inch wide flannel fabric sold by the yard. In this case, you'll need 3 yards of fabric to cover one 4 x 8-foot design wall.
- Thumbtacks, shims, ribbon, screws, anchors, hooks or heavy-duty Velcro to secure the design wall to the wall
😍 The biggest key when picking the fabric for your quilt design wall is that it's affordable for your budget and big enough to cover the polystyrene boards you've prepared.
Video - Make A Quilt Design Wall in 60 Seconds
Here's a super short video on building a quilt design wall! I played with using a stapler which worked good, but usually I secure the fabric to the polystyrene boards using glass head sewing pins.
Make a Quilt Design Wall Step-by-Step
Step 1 - Measure Your Wall
If you have low ceilings, you may need to trim your design wall boards down so they fit nicely in your space. Measure your wall from the ceiling to the floor.
If you don't plan to ever move your design wall, cut the boards exactly the length of the wall.
If you plan to pull down your design wall or move it to another space, cut the length 1/2 inch shorter than the wall measurement.
Step 2 - Cut the Boards to Fit
Use long quilting cutting rulers to guide your cut so you make a straight, even line. Slice with a box cutter only 1/2 through the board.
Position the cut edge hanging off the edge of a table. Press down on the section to remove and it will pop apart cleanly.
Trim a bit if needed and remove any plastic film on the boards if desired.
Step 3 - Cut Your Fabric
Cut a piece of cotton flannel fabric at least 2 inches bigger than the polystyrene board on all sides (52 x 100-inches).
No, you don't HAVE to use cotton flannel for your quilt design wall.
Alternative fabrics include:
- Solid colored fleece
- Microfiber blankets
- Minky fabrics
- Velvet or any fabric with a pile that will grip other fabrics.
I happened to have a lot of 108 inch white flannel fabric on hand. But ran out before I finished constructing my new quilt design walls.
A quick trip to Walmart turned up no flannel sheets, but lots of affordable microfiber fleece blankets. One king-sized fleece blanket could cover TWO polystyrene boards set side by side (96-inches wide) for less than $25.
Why Use Fluffy Fabric for a Quilt Design Wall?
The main reason to use a fluffy fabric for your design wall is because it saves time. Fuzzy fabrics will grip the backs of your quilt blocks. All you have to do is toss the block at the design wall and it will grip and hold in place temporarily.
When you're working on a quilt layout and want to be able to move blocks around quickly, using flannel or fleece will save SO much time! You don't have to stop and pin every single piece to get it to stick on the board.
The fabrics gently grip your blocks temporarily until you're happy with the layout. Then you can pin the blocks in place just to be sure nothing slips off.
Step 4 - Pin the Fabric to the Wall
Starting in the middle of the shorter sides, pin or staple the fabric to the side of the board. Smooth out the flannel fabric as you go to remove any wrinkles or pleats .
Repeat with the opposite shorter edge of the design wall. Pin from the middle to the corners and pull the fabric taunt as you go so it doesn't sag later.
Once the shorter edges are complete, secure the middle of the longer edges. Work your way to the corners, keeping the fabric nice and tight throughout.
Fold the fabric in the corners like you're wrapping a present, or in any way that makes sense to you. Secure with extra pins as you will have more layers of fabric in this area than others.
Step 5 - Secure Your Design Wall
Stand your quilt design wall up against the wall and see how it fits! If you cut your board down to fit low ceilings, use shims to fill in gaps to help the quilt design wall fit tight between the floor and ceiling.
Other ideas for securing your quilt design wall include:
- Pin a line of 1/2 - 1-inch wide ribbon to the top and bottom of the board. Secure the end of the ribbon to the wall with thumbtacks or screws
- Secure stick-on Velcro to the wall and the back of the quilt design wall. Stick the Velcro pieces together to adhere the wall in place.
- Drill directly through the board into a stud or anchor on the wall behind it. This isn't my favorite method because the screw will be visible from the front and it's hard to hit a stud or anchor exactly this way.
Polystyrene boards are very lightweight and easy to move around. If you load the quilt design wall with dozens of quilt blocks, it may decide to become a design floor instead. Make sure to secure your design wall well enough that it can take the weight of your projects!
My Quilt Design Wall Helped Create All of these Quilt Patterns!
Conclusion
Using a quilting design wall will help you arrange and piece beautiful quilts for years to come. Creating new quilt design walls may take a little time and money, but the benefit of being able to arrange your quilt blocks, preview quilt layouts, and plan every aspect of the design is definitely worth it!
Looking for another essential quilting tool you can custom build? Click Here to learn how to build a Quilters Pressing Board!
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