Just hanging around: Unique solutions for displaying quilts

Got more quilts hanging around than you have beds?  Hang them on the walls!

There are many ways to hang a quilt on a wall depending on the size and weight of the quilt you want to put on the wall.  Don’t poke nails or thumb tacks through your quilts!  This can damage them.  Instead, use a sleeve, corner pockets or clamps as described below. Also, keep your quilts out of direct sunlight as this will fade them over time.  You can switch up which quilts get displayed so they get a rest from the strain of hanging.

Sleeve

The standard method of hanging quilts is to attach a “sleeve” to the back of the quilt, especially if your quilt will be in a show.   The quilt will hang from the sleeve.  The benefit of this method is that the weight is distributed evenly and doesn’t overly stretch any one area of the quilt.

A sleeve is a tube of fabric, generally 4” wide when folded over, and the length of the quilt minus a few inches, sewn by hand to the back of the quilt, near the top.  You can eliminate one long hand-sewn seam if you stitch the sleeve to the top BEFORE you attach the binding.  The binding folds over and catches all the raw edges. There are many good YouTube tutorials on how to put on a sleeve, such as this one by Fons & Porter.

For quilts with a sleeve, you can insert a curtain rod through the sleeve and hang on the curtain hardware mounted on the wall.  If your quilt is really wide, you may want to make a split sleeve (two sleeves with a gap of a few inches in the middle) to accommodate the center support.

Corner pocket and dowel

This is a simple method for hanging small to medium sized quilts. Sew folded triangles to the top right and top left of the quilt before adding binding.  Insert a dowel the length of your quilt minus ½” and rest the dowel on two nails in the wall.

Gallery hanging system

Like to change out your quilts of different sizes and don’t want to keep moving hardware?  Look into a Gallery Hanging System, such as this one!  You install a track next to the ceiling and cables with adjustable hooks hang down from the track.  Your quilt will need a sleeve or triangle pockets. Put your rod or dowel through the quilt sleeve or in the pockets and place on the hooks.  Place more than one hook on a cable to display quilts above and below each other.

Clamps

Also called tapestry holders, these clamps attach to the wall and hold the quilt.   Clamps are great for small light weight quilts, but not recommended for larger quilts as the weight of the quilt is distributed unevenly and can distort the clamped area over time and the quilt will sag.

Pony clamps

Depending on your house, you may be able to utilize a wall next to stairs and hang pony clamps on ropes.  In the photo below, I’ve tied the pony clamps to the upstairs railings and the pony clamps hold the quilt.  I use this for temporary display, such as photographing quilts.

Over the banister

Again, depending on your house or studio, you may have a banister that you can hang quilts over for displaying.

Display rack

Use a display rack, towel holder or wooden ladder to display your quilts.  Make sure the material has been treated to not damage the quilts.

Additional quilt displaying tips

• Small quilts can be framed like a picture or mounted on canvas stretcher bars.  Consider not using glass in the frame so moisture isn’t trapped in with the quilt.
• If your quilt is very light weight, command strips may be an option for hanging on a wall.
• If you are gifting a small quilt or an art quilt, consider adding a sleeve and including suggestions for appropriate hanging methods.  Your recipient will appreciate it!

So let’s get those beautiful quilts out of the closet and onto the walls to be appreciated by all!