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?

Flannel sheet, duct tape. Good husband who helped.

I made a design for my new sewing studio and used Gorilla tape to join the two 4x8 sheets of insulation board. After wrapping it tightly with batting, I used a staple gun and it worked fine. I was going to attach mine to the wall (I even cut out a section to fit around an electrical outlet) but to the advice of Anna Marie Horner...she suggested I not attach it permanently in case I wanted to lay it on the floor for use. (I took one of her classes at a LQS here in Maine.) I read somewhere that you can use command strips on the wall so you can take it up and down... You can see the outlet cutout toward the bottom between sections of the quilt. [ATTACH=CONFIG]603081[/ATTACH]

I used the T-pins that about 2in. long. Wrap the batting around to the edge of the board and insert the pin into the side of the board. I use enough that I don't have to worry about the batting coming down or them being in the way. This way, if you need to take the batting down to clean it, the job will be much easier. I use flannel for my board and I've taken it down a time or two to clean it with no issues.

i wrapped two fannel backed vinyl table cloths around to the back and duck tape mine down. works great.

I've thought of making a design board but ended up just buying the free hanging Fons/Porter design sheet and then hung w/my favorite invention...command strips tight to wall...I refuse to put holes in my new hse walls and hang everything including my quilts w/command strips...This way they are also easy to swtich out when I want a change.
Works great.

The old one I had, I made a super large pillow case out of a flannelette sheet and just slipped the foam board in it, then tilted it up against the wall near my machine. It made it portable and could be hidden when I needed that space.

I used straight pins to secure the batting along the top of the foam.

I made a design board from the insulation too. I used spray glue & duct tape. The duct tape started falling off, so I will be trying the T pins next because I happen to have a lot of them.

The first one I made was smaller, and I put vinyl on the back that the duct tape stuck to really well. This one doesn't have that on the back. Maybe it should...

I made mine so long ago, I actually had to go look at them to see how I did it! lol. I used a glue gun. I just wrapped the flannel to the back and glued one side. Gave it a few minutes to set up and the pulled it taut and glued the other side. Same with the ends. It was easy and fast.

I too don’t want holes in my walls so I use command strips. My design wall (flannel backed table cloth) has been up for a couple of years with them. I now use them to hang my quilts too, works great.

I use binder clips to attach the covering for the boards. I use vinyl tablecloths with wrong side out and cover each board separately. I have also just hung the tablecloths on the wall without the boards. Works just as well.

The ones we use has some kind covering of fabric backed with a thin layer of foam. It is wrapped to the back and stapled on there. Two quilt groups have been using them for several years, with no issues. Straight pins are used on the front to hold the blocks in place.

Pink foam board. Spray baste flannel. Staple flannel to back side. Velcro command strips to attach to the wall.

I have moved the panels to rearrange and paint. Good luck!

I have two panels of blue foam covered in one layer of flannel. The flannel is secured on the back with duct tape. Then to attach to the wall, I nailed it down with 8 penny large nails.

This was moved from another apartment that I rented out. I nailed it to the wall in the apartment and it stayed much better than it is now in the old house with not too much to nail it to.

Interesting comment about moving the boards to the floor, but my floor space is very limited now.

I was gifted someones old design wall. I have had it at least 10 years. The batting is attached with duct tape. I just ran some dry wall screws into the wall to hold it in place. They aren't into studs. It has been fine. I just wish it was larger.

I'd glue it to the insulation board so that it doesn't sag or pull down as you take the pieces off. Otherwise--if you can't fix it with duct tape or WD40, forget any project!

I wrapped the batting to the back and used clear packing tape to secure it. It's held for more than 5 years--no issues.

I hung fleece from ceiling to floor on one wall and attached it at the ceiling height. I used strong T pins and no one could see the tiny holes at that height. Used it for years, cleaning the threads off periodically. Now in my 80's, I barely do anything creative due to arthritis, but that wall saw many quilts posted and designed there!

Batting is heavy, so I use flannel for my wall. Also a lot cheaper!

Neither in my opinion. I used painters tape and it has held up for several years without any signs of letting go. It was quick and easy.

I forgot to mention that I keep my two design boards separate. That way they fit behind my sewing room door when not in use and I can put them side by side when I need more space for a larger design.

I made a design wall out of some kind of foam board that I got at Home Depot and covered it with a piece of flannel I had. I folded it over the edges and taped it but the tape keeps coming off so I like the idea of the gorilla tape and I may try that. I thought the staples would pull out so just taped but not a good idea. Thank you all for the great ideas of how to keep the fabrics or flannels on.

A lot cheaper! That's why I use flannel also. I bought it on sale at Joann's and enough to cover 2 sheets of insulation barely cost anything. If I need to I poke a pin in to hold things securely. I wouldn't really have problems with the blocks not sticking to it except that I have 2 A/C vents in my sewing room and when the A/C comes on it sometimes blows the blocks off. A pin solves that problem though.

T-pins work beautifully. I use a king fleece blanket, cut in half. Covers two 4x8 foam boards. Mine just lean against the wall. Can be stored elsewhere when we need the room for overnight guests. (Had to cut a few inches off one end of each board as we have 8’ ceilings.) Been using them for about 8years with no problems.

I used a staple gun to put the board on my wall. I then put a poly batting on the board, smooth it out and hold in place with the yellow headed pins along the edges of foam. Poly batting is the best for holding blocks with no pinning. Staples work if there is a solid layer to go through. Only going through the foam and cover there is nothing solid so the staples will work out.

I think I would try a few different adhesives such as Mod Podge or wood glue painted on the whole surface then just apply the batting and allow to dry. I think I would test the “grip” of the glue using scraps first.

I used the insulation board, too but just bought a couple of yards of nice soft neutral INEXPENSIVE flannel and pulled the flannel around the back and duct taped it. Then I propped it against the wall and it works like a charm. When the flannel finally begins to droop, I take it off, shake it out and re-tape it.

I don't really have space for a design wall yet so I use a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth … I hand command hooks and binder clips to hang it in the hallway … easily taken down when not in use.

Like MRSG, I used Command hooks and a "Design Wall" that Fons and Porter sells. Easy as pie to put up and take down if you need to when not in use. Not on a stand or anything but works for me.

Oh the Fons and Porter Design wall is excellent. I take one to retreats and workshops. It has large grommets so it's easy to hang using push pins . Their fabric is embedded with something that attracts the fabric so it holds the blocks to the board without pinning. Everyone that has used it at retreats buy one. It is easy to store, it looks like a shower curtain and it has a grid.