Foam board design wall - staples or thumbtacks?
 

I just bought a couple of 4x8 sheets of 1" thick foam insulation to make a design wall, & I'm debating what I want to use to fasten the batting to it. I'd really like to use my trusty staple gun, but wondering if the staples would pull out too easily. And then I wondered about using thumbtacks...

Anyone here ever use staples to make one of these, and how did it work?

Sorry I don't have much experience with design walls, not much wall space available in my small house and waaay too much animal hair...

So I understand the question/concern better, the batting will be more or less permanent and what you use to stick the fabric to? I can see how that would work. My friends have used flannel or the specialty fabrics.

Edit: I should mention that I have been thinking about covering the back of the door to my sewing room to use as a design wall, it's not much space but the pets aren't allowed in there anyway. I'm going to be making some modern/contemporary quilts that are a departure from my typical traditional approach and could use some help laying them out and/or putting them in sewing order. Currently I use my queen sized bed for such things, but obviously I have demands on the bed that aren't on the back of the door!

I used basting spray. Need well ventilated area.

SherylM ... As you have recognized, I agree, that staples and/or thumbtacks would probably pull out too easily.

There are some permanent spray glues that would probably hold it tight.
I'm not so sure that 505 or other basting sprays would hold tight, and it might peel off on you.

I'd probably go for good ol' duct tape! :)

IceBlossom ... yes, go for the back of your door for a starter. Something is better than nothing!
Another forgotten about possibility are closet doors.
If you should happen to have a double door or slider ... double the space! :)
Another possibility is corroplast, covered with fleece (or flannelette).
Tucks in nicely behind furniture or under beds, etc. when not in use.

I started with a piece of flannelette taped to a wall with painters tape to prove the merits.
I soon upgraded to fleece on the wall .... and was totally sold.
Now ... ..... 10ft wall, floor to ceiling design wall, plus several portable ones for smaller projects.

Once you have one ... you will soon have others!

I merely wrapped the batting around to the back of my foam insulation boards and stapled the batting to the back. I then took small appropriate length finishing nails and nails to my wall.....I can fit a king size quilt on there and have never experienced any loose batting. I do take a lint brush and remove all the threads left behind after each quilt, never had a issue.

IceBlossom - yes, the batting will be permanently fastened to the foam board. Two months ago we moved from the four bedroom house we lived in for 30 years to a two bedroom condo, so now I'm setting up my new sewing room. :) In the house, I just used large pushpins to fasten the batting right to the wall, but obviously that's not ideal. And we're renting and the landlord probably wouldn't appreciate it.

I've got some chemical sensitivities so spray adhesives are out, and besides, we're on the second floor and other than the balcony, there's no place to do anything like that.

QuiltE, I think I might give the duct tape a try - I just found a brand new roll of it when I was unpacking. And I agree - once you've had a design wall, it's hard to quilt without one!

That's good to know - since staples were my first choice (I love my staple gun! :D ), I'm gonna try that first. If it doesn't work, I'll use the duct tape.

Definitely try your staple gun first ... then if that doesn't work,
you have your the duct tape all ready and waiting!

Recognizing your downsizing, maybe the corroplast option would be less space demanding
and give you more flexibility?
While I know you love your staple gun, it won't work for that, but a regular stapler
(but heavy duty!) would do the job ... and of course, duct tape as your fall back! :)

I have a design “wall” of 4 foam boards, and originality my plan was to hang it permanently. But I have found it very handy to lean them against the wall (i don’t make big quilts) and add to the width with more boards when necessary. Also mskes them portable so I can set them up next to my machine whenever I want.

I use batting and pin it on with straight daisyhead pins, if I need that last piece of batting, it’s there.

If I were renting and the design was something to be really big, I’d use duct tape to affix the batting , and Command strips to hold the boards up.

I think batting would tear away from staples.

how about double sided carpet tape?