We choose to decorate our homes, offices, or guesthouses with the most exotic or unique artifacts and showpieces that we could find in several antique stores both locally and from abroad.
Hanging fabrics are one of the popular decorative items but unlike others, they have some complications regarding hanging them on the wall – which you can learn from the abstract below:
Do command strips work on fabric?
Command strips do work on fabric effectively and can be used to hang fabric on the wall. But it may not be able to handle larger and heavier fabric, for which you need to apply a strong glue layer over a sufficient number of command strips to allow them to hold up the fabric.
Command strips are pieces of adhesive strips that are used to lodge objects and items to walls, frames, and many other surfaces such as metals, glass, tiles, drywalls. They are effective for hanging items on surfaces as long as they are not rough such as brick walls or uneven walls.
The reason they are so popular is not only because they are inexpensive but also because they do not cause permanent changes to walls or frames in contrast to drilling.
Not only that but they can also be removed from the wall surface with little to no damage and keep the surface intact. Besides that, drill installation can have additional costs as well if you hire a professional.
command velcro strips:
Since these command velcro strips are so effective at sticking objects against surfaces, they are one of the best options to use to install fabric walls. The command strips have strong adhesives which can support and hold up a few pounds to several pounds according to their size.
However, if the fabric is large and heavy, you will be required to use more strips to handle them.
In addition, you should also add a layer of strong adhesive over both of the layers of the velcro strip if you are installing a large length of fabric.
The fabric binds need to be held up and that would require a considerable amount of force the ordinary velcro strips may not be able to provide if few of them are used. So command strips can be an excellent way to stick fabrics to smooth surfaces.
Do command strips work on velvet?
Command strips have a strong adhesive layer over them which can be stuck to any smooth surface such as walls, glasses, or window frames – making it one of the most versatile and inexpensive ways to attach objects to walls and other surfaces.
However, the item to be attached needs to be put into consideration whether the strips would work on them.
In terms of fabric, command strips are quite effective at hanging them on smooth surfaces. However, there are several variations of fabric that are manufactured on which the command strips may or may not work effectively.
In the case of velvet, the fabric texture is silky and smooth – on which the command strips would work but its effectiveness is not too great.
To make command strips work effectively on velvet, apply fabric adhesives over the strip on the side where the velvet would be stuck to and stick the fabric to the strip.
Do command strips damage fabric?
Although command strips are very useful and effective at hanging items on the wall, many people do not consider whether or not these strips would potentially cause damage to the items it is being stuck to.
These command strips are known to cause damage to walls during removal – if they are not removed carefully, they could strip off the layer of paint.
However, on the other side where the fabric is attached – the adhesive layer causes the fabric to stick to the strip. If you have not applied additional adhesives to the strip, then your fabric will have little to no damage and the fabric can be removed easily.
But the situation gets complicated if additional fabric adhesive has been applied which gets absorbed by the fabric and could damage them during removal.
How long will the command strip hold on the fabric?
Command strips have a layer of strong adhesive on them which are meant to hold an object in place for a long amount of time as long as the object’s weight is within the strip’s holding capacity.
Each regular-sized command strip is known to hold around 4-5 pounds whereas the larger strips can hold larger weights.
Normally, the adhesive from the strip is enough to hold the fabric given that you have used a sufficient number of the strips throughout the length of the fabric. In such cases, the command strips can hold the fabric in place for several years if not more.
How do you use Command strips on fabric?
The steps for using command strips to hang fabric are explained in detail down below:
Clean the wall surface using rubbing alcohol:
The first step to ensure that the command strips stick onto the wall for a long duration of time is to make sure that the wall surface is clean and smooth.
Having dirt or other grainy debris stuck onto the wall surface would significantly reduce the chances of the strips unsuccessfully being stuck to the surface.
Therefore, you need to soak cotton strips with drops of rubbing alcohol and wipe the surface where you would hang the fabric thoroughly.
Stick the command strips onto the corners of the fabric:
It is recommended that you perform this step before cleaning the wall but doing this after the wall has been cleaned will not make much of a difference either.
The angles at which you need to stick the command strips depend on the size of the fabric – the larger the fabric is, the more number of command strips you will need.
Next, stick two command strips perpendicular to each other at each corner of the fabric so that all the corners have v-shaped strips stuck to them.
Hook and hang up the fabric on the wall:
The final step is to actually hang fabric onto the wall – right on the spot where you cleaned using the rubbing alcohol. Make sure the fabric is well-aligned because you would not want to make alterations once the strip has been stuck to the wall.
After you stick the strips onto the wall, firmly press the locations where you attached the strips to the fabric and leave it to dry. Wait for at least 24 hours to check whether the strip has successfully been stuck to the wall.
How to hang fabric with command strips?
You could choose to hook your fabric onto the command strips with several techniques such as:
Regular peel and stick:
Using the usual adhesive layer of the command strip to hang fabric is a simple yet effective method as long as the fabric is not too heavy.
The regular peel and stick method with command strips to hang fabric on the wall involves you first peeling off the command strip and then sticking it onto the corners of the fabric.
Afterward, you need to pick a clean location on the wall to hang your fabric up, press it firmly and wait till it dries. This is the most simple and straightforward way of hanging fabric on the wall.
Sticking command strips to clothespin:
Another effective way is to stick the command strips to the clothespin instead of the fabric itself. This method will not only keep the adhesive from sticking to the fabric but also allow you to remove or interchange fabrics at ease.
The first step would be to take a number of clothespins according to your fabric size, then attach the strips on one side of the pin. Then measure the length of the fabric and stick the pins on the wall accordingly.
Finally, hang the fabric to the wall by clipping it with the attached clothespins.
Using a foam board as support:
The foam board method provides the most durability when hanging a fabric onto the wall and if done right, the fabric will stay stuck to the wall for many years.
To do so, you need to cut out the foam board according to the fabric size, next lay the fabric over the board, and staple its edges. Finally, stick the strips to the back of the board according to the weight and hang them on the wall.
Final Thoughts
Command strips work well on fabric and may be used to hang them on the wall. However, it may be unable to handle larger and heavier fabrics, in which case you must place a strong adhesive layer over a sufficient number of command strips to allow them to hold up the fabric.