Need design wall suggestions
 

We are finishing our basement and I will have a craft room! :thumbup: Right now, I have blank wall, I mean to the point of just studs and no walls up lol. I have a space of 6 feet wide by 9 feet tall for a design wall. How would you make the wall? I've had several ideas but I'm not sure of any of them so I wanted some advise from those who have BTDT. Also, if you had something you were really unhappy with that didn't work for you, please tell me that too. Thanks!

They have puzzles with thread on them that would look great as a picture on a wall. Also anything that you make since it is a crafty room!

I'm envious of all that room for a design wall - how wonderful! The only way I was able to fit one in my quilt room was to put up coat hooks over the closet (one on each side & one in the middle), and I sewed together flannel with a pocket at the top to slide a 1" x 2" long board in (left an opening in the center, so the hook could come through the flannel), and hung over the closet. Works perfectly and now have a design wall that's 7' tall by 8' wide. In your case I'd do the same, only make it larger. Or I'd do a frame out of 2"x2"s and sew white flannel together and staple onto the back of the frame to make it taut and attach to the wall or lean it from the floor against the wall.

I like that its removable - came in handy when I was spring cleaning, and needed to get to the closet to clean it out and re-organize. I don't have doors on the closet, so putting it back up was easy (and its still easy to get to the closet) and I have my design wall back up.

I still prefer the thicker insulation sheets. They come 4' x 8' but are easily trimmed down to fit a space. Hinge 2 pieces with duct tape. Have 2 people and batting or flannel larger than the size you have. Check for size so you can trim to about 2" bigger than sheets. Remove batting from one corner. Then spray that sheet area with 3M 77 spray, available at office stores. Gently place batting in position starting at one corner, and smooth it out as you go. Continue the process til all of the sheets are covered.

I have mine hinged closed at present as I usually don't need a lot of design wall. I sprayed the back of 1 sheet like I did the fronts. when I have a larger project I simply open up the design wall.

After we completed my wall a friend came over and we gridded the wall using colorful ribbon in a 12" x 12" grid and diagonal lines corner to corner.

There are lots of methods to use. Choose one you like.

I bought two flannel-backed plastic tablecloths and sewed them together. I can put it up with skirt/pant hangers and take it down when necessary. Not ideal but it's the only thing that will work in a house with no space.

GO with insulation!! You have the space, this is the only way to go. I have used 1" insulation covered with flannel. You can easily use pins if needed. MUCH easier to clean with a stick roller than batting. I know that EB uses the material that is used for the inside top of cars. Use ever square inch you have. Remember that queen size quilts are 9 feet tall. You will regret if you don't use ever inch. A member of this board Dina posted a few weeks ago about the problem she encountered over a her design wall being too short. ENJOY your space. :)

I agree, use the insulation. It's important that you be able to pin to whatever your design wall is made of...maybe not for all projects, but you'll really miss it if you need to pin and you can't.

Another excellent option, since you're still at the building stage, is to put up homosote, either over or instead of, drywall. You could then just hang or permanently adhere your batting/flannel/felt to the homosote, depending on how you want to impact the resale value of the house. Homosote would be more sturdy than foam insulation, yet just as easy to use.

Lots of great info out there...what a super size you'll have! http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransso...sign-wall.html

Thanks for all the great tips! My head is spinning lol but I'm loving the advise!

Mine is the one that ManiacQuilter2 mentioned, as being too small. Mine is insulation board (with pink panther guy on back) covered in Warm and Natural that is duck taped to it. It leans agains my closet door, as mine has to be portable. But it is too small because I cut off the top two feet of the 4 x 8 foot piece. (My husband told me I would regret it, and he was right, darn it!!)

I don't have wall space for a larger one....but....my sister built a quilt studio and she put up 3 of those 4x8 boards, right together on one wall. I thought she was making it too large at the time, but now I envy it. I am not sure how she attached the 3 boards, but she used glue to attach the Warm and Natural and then put wood trim around all of it. Works very well.

I am very happy using Warm and Natural batting. Everything sticks, unless it is too heavy, and that is when pins work. I don't even try to get the threads off the Warm and Natural. They just add a touch of reality to the room, and my fabric sticks right on top of those threads anyway.

Enjoy your new room. It sounds wonderful!!

Dina

I just reread and saw that your space is 6 feet wide by 9 feet tall. I would cover that whole area with the insulation board. It cuts easily. Probably want wallboard behind it, but I am not any kind of an expert on that... I just know that you will not regret every inch of a design wall!

Dina

Just wanted to add that you could just staple the covering to the homosote, too. Removable but not floppy. Homosote is like bulletin board.

Ditto to Ghostie's suggestions .......

I used tentest and covered it with fleece.
Still able to stab pins in, when needed .... it's surprising how much you use it for a bulletin board as well. Eg. pinning a pattern to the wall, PP sections, etc.

You'll never regret making the whole wall your design wall.
Only regret will be that it is not larger! :)

I use a queen size piece of Warm and Natural tacked to the wall. But I would definitely go with something nicer like the insulation sheets with a wood frame around it. The W+N works fine, but it sure collects a lot of threads and a lint roller only takes off so many of them! I find it annoying.

That's one of the reasons I went with fleece ... the first design wall I saw was in an LQS. It had been covered with batting, and looked ever-so grubby. I didn't like that look at all. So I went with black fleece, and a quick swipe with a lint roller or brush and it looks great. Blocks/fabrics stick nicely to it. I have hung fully assembled quilts on it with no need for pins ... though I usually stick a few in across the top, just in case!

It's served the test of time ... and no regrets!

For my design wall, which measures 6 feet by 8 feet, my husband affixed sheets of cork to a plywood base so I could pin things to it if I wanted. I tried to add a photo but was unsuccessful--sorry!

Congratulations on your new space.

I got two of those shades that rolls up.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_63907-49091-...des&facetInfo=

(I'm not hawking lowe's products. The link is just so you can see exactly what I got.)

one of them is 6 feet wide; the other is 8 feet wide.
the smaller one hangs from the wall unit in my sewing room.
it's covered with a vinyl table cloth - fuzzy side out.
i roll it up and down as needed to get to the shelves behind.
it works very well for just about anything up to twin size.
if something has gotten heavy enough to need pinning, i have no problem shoving pins through the little plastic tubes it's made from.

i am going to hang the bigger one from hooks i'll put in the ceiling.
i will cover that one with batting.
it will stay rolled up and out of the way unless i need it for a big project.

My husband and I added things I needed when we turned our 3rd bedroom into my sewing sewing room. He used 4'x8' sheets of 1/2" fiberboard for the design wall. I covered them with 1 layer of cotton batting and flannel that is a very pale yellow cream, the same color as the walls. He mounted them horizontally and framed them with white painted wood trim. Horizontally through the center where the 2 pieces meet he used a narrow 3/4 inch piece of white corner cove to further stabilize it. It is a part of the room, we wanted it to be usable as a child or teen's bedroom or office if desired when we decide to sell. He built in a wall mounted entertainment and shelf unit, recessed cabinets between the 2 closets, a cutting station with storage cubbies on both sides, a big board ironing surface to fit over my existing ironing board, and an amazing 3 piece sewing and quilting table with a recess for my Elna "Esther". He also built a daybed with underneath storage for an extra sleeping spot, but I can use it as a couch for handwork. LOVE my room- as you will love yours! So thankful for his talents!

This is what we were leaning toward but I wasn't sure how well it would work. Where did you get the cork?

Insulation board for sure

I asked my husband where he bought the cork when I wrote about my design wall for my blog, and all he could remember was that he found a school supply place online. Unfortunately, the name of the business escaped him. The cork comes in rolls.

OK, thank you.