It would be wonderful if you could bring out Aunt Eleanor’s hooked rug or Greatgrandmother’s hand-stitched quilt and turn them into wall art. They are too good to use for their intended purpose. They are also too good to be stored away sight unseen. The dilemma is how to display them without causing them damage. If the quilt is very old, you might want to consider displaying it in a glassed in unit where it is out of direct sunlight. Speaking of glassed in units, the latest innovation is acrylic display cases. They are more durable and less dangerous if there are children around. Acrylic display cases can be found in many convenient sizes and used for any kind of display, including quilts.
If the quilt is in excellent condition – and this can work well with a new quilt that just looks traditional – you can hang it on a wall. Fold over the fabric along the top of the quilt and stitch it to the quilt’s backing with hand stitching. Run a wooden dowel through the hem created by the folded over fabric and attach the ends of the dowel to the wall by resting them on sturdy cup hooks screwed into the wall.
Hooked rugs can also be hung on the wall using doweling attached to the wall the same way. However, you will need curtain rings that have clips. Run the curtain rings over the dowel and put the clips on the rug.If you decide to decorate with large items like a quilt or a rug, make sure that the room is big enough to showcase the item. Don’t crowd it with other items on the wall. Give it center stage.
Some suggestions for things you can use instead of heirlooms: heavy fabric in a colorful design, silky East Indian fabric that can be draped over the dowel, a patchwork hanging created from clothing that has sentimental meaning to you. In a room that has only one window, you could use matching drapery to create the illusion of another window by installing a dowel on another wall at the same height as the window. Where the window would be, hang a large mirror.
