Quilt Wall Hanging – Retiring an Heirloom while Adding Color and a Shelf
Quilt wall hanging including a shelf! I have quite a bit of trouble when it comes to adding “art” to my rooms. I just get kind of stuck creatively, its just not my thing! My living room needed a makeover REALLY BADLY and also lost all of its previous artwork to the gallery walls in my entryway. With the room nearly complete I was left with two big blank walls and absolutely NO idea what I was going to put on them.
Out of desperation I did some searches online for farmhouse DIY artwork etc. What I ran into was a “quilt” made out of wood and tacked to an office wall. It was really cool! It was also way too complicated a build for this wood working novice that has no patience. (And I really feel like I have enough wood in my house as it is…)
However, I most certainly had a REAL quilt I could hang!
I looked up quilt hangers on Amazon and what I found gave me a real: OH THAT’S AWESOME! Moment. Not just a hanger but a shelf above it too!
Of course I wouldn’t be buying one of them though, I got to planning my project immediately! First I purchased a rod, hooks for hanging and the same shelf brackets I used above my kitchen sink. (I made sure to get an extra long rod so it would be double the strength because I would only be using it at half its possible length.)
The wall width itself is right around six feet so I decided to make the span 48 inches which was perfect because that was literally the shortest length the curtain rod I purchased would go.
First I used a level and gave myself a line across where I wanted the shelf to be. (Notice there are SEVERAL lines here, after making the level line I then went back and adjusted to actually being the same distance down from the ceiling on either side. Its a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way MANY times. This is an old house, sometimes you have to build things that aren’t quite level so they look level lol)
With that done I marked out where the shelf brackets would go (right on the outside of the hooks) and then I put everything in. I wanted the hooks to be hidden so that it would look like the rod was supported by the pretty shelf supports and not the hooks at all.
I used heavy duty sheet rock hangers for all of this.
Quilts weigh a lot!
(YES I slaughtered my poor wall with holes adjusting exactly where I wanted the quilt to be, it wasn’t a good time and I don’t want to talk about it.)
With that done I put up my shelf. (My shelf is a pine 1×8 that I painted white.)
I had planned to use the quilt off of my guest bedroom bed for this but when I told my mom about it she said, “I have something I’ve been meaning to give you!”
Kept safely by her for over thirty years was a quilt that came into my family through my Dad’s Mom.
My mom recognized the work and beauty of it and handed it over to me in reverence.
Every single stitch was put in BY HAND. This quilt didn’t just take hours it took WEEKS (if not MONTHS) to make. I promised it would be hung safely in a place absolutely no sun would ever touch it!
With the reorganizing I did of the shelves above my kitchen sink I had some decor and things to put up on my new shelf here too! Besides that I had already decided my guest bedroom and library will no longer be a library so a section of my books found a new home here too.
I love how versatile this whole idea is.
I could easily change the blanket to a different afghan or quilt anytime or even put up several for lots of different looks etc. During the holidays I will definitely be hanging blankets in festive colors!
Moving on to just a few more projects to complete my living room!
NOTED: The quilt needs to be ironed I recognize this however I have yet to find anyone who is willing to put an iron to this beautiful old quilt… someday I may get up the courage but I’m not worrying about it.
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I’m Tarah!
It’s been a hell of a ride since I started this blog and renovated and moved into this old farm house back in 2015. I got married, divorced, lost my doggo soul mate, spent two years as a single gal, remodeled everything, threw my back out countless times and was even found by an amazing guy in my own backyard! (The story behind Storyhardt Farm.)
Around here we’re totally fearless when it comes to bettering our home. We love to refinish old furniture, re-purpose old pieces, build it from scratch and totally renovate anything that needs it! If we can do it – so can you. We’ve got some serious plans for this old farm and, for first time ever, I have a real partner!
This is gonna be so much fun!
You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!
Tarah, good job! Looks great. I wouldn’t use an iron on that quilt, I would use a steamer. Also, even though the sun won’t be shining on it, I would refold the quilt from time to time to even out any slight fading that is bound to occur over time even without direct sun.
Thank you Jean!
Butting in! You really don’t want to iron your quilt. Just put it in a dryer on low heat for a while with a slightly damp towel. That should take the wrinkles out. I am a quilter and a collector, not just a ” know it all”.
Thank you Trudy, I’ll try that!
The quilt looks gorgeous and the shelf too! Actually the folds might disappear in time with the weight of it.
Thank you Beth!
Nice decorating lady!
You don’t need to iron it – it’s fine just like that, and any major wrinkles (can’t see any in the pics) will come out on their own. If you have it up for a while, I suggest that you take it down once a month, shake it outside to get rid of dust, and fold it a different way from how it is now folded – i.e. do not use the same fold lines (I vary mine between thirds and quarters). Even quilts folded in storage should be refolded at least once per year to prevent wear marks (and wear-through) on the folds.
You’ve found another way to honour your familys’ efforts! Do you have a photo of the maker to sit on the shelf above the quilt – might be kinda cool ๐
Thanks so much for sharing – I look forward to 12:00 on Sundays!
Best wishes always!
My gosh Toni thank you so much for all the info! I was worried about knowing how to properly care for besides putting it in a bin and putting it in the attic for safe keeping lol
An iron will not hurt it, but the easier solution is to throw it in the dryer for a few minutes on low with a damp towel.
Lynn, I’m going to try that! Thank you!
Your quilt is beautiful on the wall. I just did that in my bedroom
over the bed. Do not worry about ironing the quilt because it looks
fine there.
Thank you JoAnn! Above a bed is a great idea!
You could iron it, but if you’d rather you could steam it and that will get the wrinkles out.
Thank you Cheryl!
How wonderful to have such a beautiful family heirloom! You did a wonderful job finding a way to display and honor it. I wouldn’t ever worry about ironing it – old quilts always have a wonderful crinkly look. Quilters making new quilts mimic that look by making quilts with fabric that hasn’t been preshrunk – so when the quilts are washed they get that lovely old fashioned look. The wrinkles from the quilt being folded will very likely soften over time not that it’s hung – if they bother you, a little steam might soften them more. If you ever get tired of your quilt, I’d be happy to foster it for you ๐ Happy Sunday!
Patty, thank you so much for that info I didn’t know any of that! That’s very cool – older quilts definitely have more a frumbled look that I’ve always loved, I never considered WHY they had that look ๐
Just let your quilt hang for a while. Usually, the weight of it will pull out the wrinkles. If it doesn’t, don’t iron it – buy a little inexpensive handheld steamer and steam the wrinkles out. You’ll be surprised also how many other “ironing” and refreshing pieces of clothing that little steamer will save you.
Thank you Pat, that’s awesome advice!
Hi Tarah!! The whole thing is absolutely gorgeous!! First off, the quilt itself is worth $$$$$ by itself. You simply cannot find a handmade quilt that is subjectively that beautiful. I don’t know if I would EVER let someone put an iron to it. They would have to have insurance to cover the value of the quilt (both monetary and sentimentarily). Second, you did a fine job of creating a quilt hanger that is attractive, functional, and appears to be relatively easy to replicate. I’d have to say you have an all around winner! Keep following your heart… seems to be on the right track. Tiana
Tiana thank you so much and I totally agree, I’ve nixed the idea of ironing it completely! A couple of great commenters on here mentioned I could throw it in my dryer with a damp towel for a little while to get rid of those wrinkles but I’ve decided to just leave it alone lol. Its worth too much to me to mess with and I think it looks just lovely as it is! Thanks again!
Love that old quilt and the shelf you devised to display it. I’m betting some of those wrinkles will hang out with the passage of time. Many years ago I purchased a hand held steamer made for fabric. I use it every year to steam out the wrinkles and put back the pleats in my sheers after they have been washed and dried. This might be something you could use to steam out some of the folds if they begin to really bother you. Otherwise, just enjoy that fabulous addition to your wall.
Thinking about your mom and including you both in my prayers.
Carolyn K.
Thank you Carolyn, a hand held steamer was mentioned a couple of times by other commentors I think I’ll look into getting one!
With all the suggestions here I see you now know how to care for this beautiful heirloom! And think refolding it periodically will give it a new look!
GEORGOUS!!!
Thank you Margie!