Roberts Erickson Design

Livening up your home with great art can be a daunting task. Creating for yourself can be a bit intimidating and finding gorgeous and affordable works is at times a herculean enterprise.

One way to jump start (or give a big boost to) your art collection is to make use of a few of the many amazing pieces of fabric that are just so more than a piece

of drapery.

This idea is especially useful for those spots that need something truly substantial with bold hits of color.

Great places to find incredible fabric art pieces include: www.txtlart.com (great large scale new and vintage marimekko), and ebay has a slew of sellers of great vintage fabric pieces and cool 70's pieces already in tact. The "canvases" can be incredibly moving works of art and should be treated as such.

Here's how to tackle turning a great piece of fabric into a great piece of art

Find a great piece of fabric that gives you the chills when you look at it (happens to me all the time).

Pick up some canvas strechers (art store) and a staple gun, and some companies sell textile wall hanging kits.

Spread your fabric out and iron it so there are NO wrinkles or creases. If the fabric seams thin in any way, you may want to back it with a white piece of fabric or muslin to give it more depth.

Staple it to the frame. Start by placing a staple in the center of each side of the frame. Work out toward the corners, adding only a few staples to each side before moving to the next.

Tack on a piece of hanging hardware to the canvas stretcher and put it up on your heretofore naked wall.

Then, sit back with a fabulous cocktail and ENJOY your new piece of art.