Using a T-shirt Quilt as a Wall Hanging

When you think of a quilt, your first thought might be – a quilt on a bed or something to snuggle with.  But there are other ways to enjoy and use a T-shirt quilt. Hanging your quilt on your wall is a wonderful way to enjoy your quilt everyday.

Sometimes we make T-shirt quilts specifically for a particular wall and other times they just find their way there organically. This article will help you plan a wall hanging from the start.

Here's how to plan your wall hanging T-shirt quilt step-by-step. 

Here's how to hang a T-shirt Quilt.

1. Choose Where You Want to Hang Your T-shirt Quilt

Where do you want to hang your quilt? Below are a number of places you can hang a quilt is your home. Included are some things to take into consideration about each location. 

Business Office 

If you plan to hang a T-shirt quilt in your office at work, there are a few things to take into consideration...

• Is there somewhere to hang your quilt without damaging the wall?
• Would it be appropriate to hang anything on the wall?
• Would you need permission?
• What types of T-shirts would be acceptable?
• What size wall is available?
• How would people visiting your office respond to the quilt and its T-shirts?

We know of a many of Too Cool T-shirt Quilts hanging in professional offices. Many are made from T-shirts from company events. Some of these quilts have been commissioned by us to hang in common areas or hallways. These quilts were made from T-shirts the company used for promotions and company picnics.

Home Office

In your home office, you have more option of what you can do. But there are still a few things you might consider before beginning a T-shirt quilt wall hanging…

• Who will see the quilt? If you have a home office just for home business, probably no one would judge you based on your quilt.
• Do you have customers, clients or other outside people in your home office? If so, how will they react to your quilt?
• Will it be a back drop for zoom meeting?

Bedroom

Many of the T-shirt quilts we make reside in bedrooms. Most are on the bed. But there are many T-shirt quilts living on walls in bedrooms. 

I think the biggest consideration is if you want to see your quilt while you are in bed or not. This will depend on the orientation of your bed and what wall space is available at the foot of your bed or adjacent to your bed.

If you hang your quilt over the head of your bed, you won't be able to see your quilt while in bed. 

Basement

Basements vary from house to house and region to region. There is one main consideration when you are looking at making a T-shirt for your basement: moisture.

If you are thinking about hanging your quilt on an outside wall and/or if the wall is a cinderblock or cement wall, moisture could be an issue. The quilt will insulate the wall differently than the surrounding wall. When the temperature and humility changes, this will cause moisture to condensate behind the quilt. 

On the other hand, if your basement is damp to begin with, you might not consider this area for your T-shirt quilt. 

Workout Room

A workout room is a great place for a T-shirt quilt. Especially if you are an athlete and the T-shirts are from athletic events. The only consideration I can anticipate is sweat flinging up on the quilt. But since T-shirt quilts are machine washable, simply washing the quilt would help prevent it from becoming stinky.

Hallway

Many times, hallways have big vacant walls. These walls may seem a perfect place for a T-shirt quilt. The big consideration is that you are unable to get very far away from the quilt.

You will see the T-shirts individually - on the micro level. But you might not be able to get far enough away from the quilt to see the quilt as a whole.

Stairway

An open stairway is a great place to hang a T-shirt quilt. Although a closed stairway will present some of the same issues as a hallway. 

The big consideration of a stairway is the actual wall space available. You won't hang a quilt parallel with angle of the stairs. Rather you need to figure out how much space you have to make a rectangular quilt. 

Den/Man Cave/Hobby Area

Perfect place for a T-shirt quilt. Especially if the topic of the T-shirt matches your passions. 

Garage

Choosing to hang a T-shirt quilt in your garage will depend on your garage. Here are some considerations. 

• Heated vs Unheated.
  I would suggest only hanging a quilt in a heated garage. An unheated garage will have moisture issues.
• What takes place in the garage.
  If there is woodworking, I would suggest not hanging a quilt there. Wood working creates a lot of dust. This would just make your quilt dirty. 

But T-shirt quilts are machine washable. So you can consider this in your planning.

Planning a T-shirt quilt?
Here are step-by-step directions for ordering your Too Cool T-shirt quilt.

2. Choose the Specific Wall

Next, choose the specific wall for your quilt. Look for a large wall without anything on it. Here are some obstacles you many have to contend with:

• Windows
• Doors
• Light switches and plugs
• Heating and cooling vents
• Built-in shelves

3. Figure Your Maximum Quilt Size

1. Measure Your Wall

Once you have found your wall, measure it. Find the total width and total height of the space. Typically, you would want to leave some margin around the quilt rather than having it run ceiling to floor and side to side. It would depend on the size of the wall how much space you would want to leave around it.

If you are uncomfortable figuring or envisioning this, we can help.  With a photo of the space and the measurements, we can assist you to determine the right quilt size.

2. Landscape or Portrait

There are two ways to view a rectangle. If a rectangle is wider than it is long, it is called landscape orientation. If it is longer than it is wide, it is called portrait orientation. 

Most quilts are made in portrait orientation. This is because of the shape of beds.

When it comes to wall hanging quilts, many times we make them in a landscape orientation. It will depend on the shape of your wall and how you want it to look. 

4. How to Figure Out Approximately How Many T-shirts You Can Include

Here's the math to help you approximate how many T-shirts you may need.

1. Begin with your wall size.
   Example: Maximum wall width is 74. Maximum height is 59.
   
   
2. Take the width and length of your wall and lower the size to the next number divisible by 4.
   Example: Lower width from 74 to 72. Lower height from 59 to 56.
   
   
3. Multiply the width of your wall by the height of your wall. Use the numbers divisible by 4 from above.
   Example: 72 x 56 = 4032.
   
   
4. Divide that number by 180. 
   Example: 4032/180 = 22 T-shirts
   
   
5. Results - you would need between 18 and 25 T-shirts for you quilt. Here's why we can't be more specific about exactly how many T-shirts can be used for any specific size quilt. 

If you are not interested in figuring this out yourself, we are more than happy to help. 

5. Have Your Quilt Made

Click here for the complete directions on how to have Too Cool T-shirt Quilts make your quilt. 

Below is the overview of the steps.

Want to learn more about T-shirt quilts? Visit our Learning Center.
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