If your first thought of ‘tapestry’ is an aged battle scene on display in a castle, you’re not wrong, but I’m not talking about those kinds of tapestries. I’m talking about artistic wall hangings, but not the kind in smoke shops either. The tapestries I love are essentially giant art prints that happen to be on fabric instead of archival paper.
Tapestries are surprisingly affordable, cater to a wide range of tastes, and are easy to move and hang anywhere. I buy mine from Society6.com, but this isn’t a sponsored post. I’m just being transparent about where I buy so you don’t have to deal with any “click here to learn more” useless banter.
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; I may earn a tiny commission from purchases.
You may want a quick primer about Society6 first (if you’re unfamiliar). It’s a site where artists upload their work, and choose what items can be made of their art. Society6 provides the hosting and production, then buyers like me just find a print they love and choose to have it as a mug, backpack, clock, etc. It’s similar to Zazzle, however the art quality is significantly more professional. I strongly suggest making an account and just browsing. This is one of my favorite places for digital window shopping.
Not every print is available as a tapestry, but -so many- are! I only have small and medium tapestries -no large yet because they’re SO huge. Despite being large, they are not heavy and this is a huge perk for me because I hang these with finishing nails and I don’t need anything heavy-duty. For reference, their tapestry sizes are
- Small 51″-60″ (4.25′ x 5′)
- Medium 68″-80″ (5.6′ x 6.6′)
- Large 88″-104″ (7.3′ x 8.6′)
Tapestries as wall art are perfect for nomads (like military families) because
- Folds are easily steamed out
- Tapestries quickly cover bare walls
- Tapestries are easily folded and moved
- They are the most affordable large-scale art
- They are easy to change with tastes or season
- If lost or damaged -they can easily be purchased again
I actually move with mine when we partial-DITY. Not because they’re super valuable, but because I like to put them up ASAP to define my house as my home. Besides, tapestries can be handy markers to direct your unload crew even if you sound like a maniac “the sideboard goes under the lake” “the office has giant roses.”
- Related: Planning Your HHG Arrival
But what to buy? That’s all on you, friend. Just make sure it’s something you love. It’s not much, but I can give you $15 to spend, enjoy!
Ezra Croft reminded us via this 2016 SFChronicle article that “People need art in their houses, they don’t need Bed Bath and Beyond dentist-office art. They need weird stuff.” Agreed. Thank you Ezra.
Need a place to start? I gathered you some quick links to some art tapestries for fun.
- “Vampcorn” – a vampiric unicorn (by Hillary White)
- A charming pack of alpacas (by Cat Coquillette)
- “Zest” (by Florent Bodart / Speakerine)
- This eye catching print (by Wacka)
Oh, also Society6 is on Rakuten if you’re really into saving money. If you don’t have a Rakuten account it’s always free to join and I recommend downloading the browser extension if you shop online a lot (ahem, like me).
What if you’re not into tapestries as wall art? Easy, just think of these as large cuts of custom print polyester fabric. Here are more ideas on that end:
- Distinct cape
- Beach blanket
- Picnic blanket
- Holiday tree skirt
- Top half of a quilt
- Tablecloth or table runner
- Graphic coverlet for the guest bed
Are you also a tapestry lover? Do we have some of the same ones? Comment below, or share this post with someone who needs a large-scale art source in their lives.
This post has been lightly refreshed for 2020.
Lady Jupiter 