If a crochet rug seems too beautiful to step on, why not make it into wall art? Just use any of my rug patterns with a thinner thread and a smaller size hook to create wall hangings, table covers, doilies and more.

  

Sloth Wall Decoration

To finish this wall decoration, I made an applique piece from my the Mossy The Sloth Crochet Rug pattern using a single strand of Mellowspun Yarn by Mary Maxim (light weight / 3) and a 3.5 mm hook. As a result, my sloth turned out 16″ X 12″, a perfect size for framing!

What you need:

• Find a picture frame, large enough to fit your crochet applique. I repurposed a frame from an old print to give it new life and reduce waste.
• A piece of cute fabric for background, slightly larger than your frame base. You can also use wallpaper, decoupage paper or even chalk paint.
• Permanent fabric glue (Liquid Stitch is a great product to use).
• You might also need Mod Podge if you choose a decoupage method.

When upcycling, remove the frame and handle the glass very carefully. I only kept the frame and the fiberboard backing for this projects, but you can also reuse the glass if you wish. To finish background, I wrapped a piece of flannel fabric around the fiberboard and glued it along the edges on the back. Flannel fabric sticks well to the front of the board, so I did not use any glue there. However, some other lighter weight fabrics might need to be decoupaged to be able to hold the weight of your crochet applique. You can also decoupage the fiberboard using wallpaper or decoupage paper and Mod Podge. If you don’t like decoupaging, you can simply paint the fiberboard and even your frame.

After the background is ready, position your crochet applique and use fabric glue heavily to attach it to the backing. Place your finished art back into the frame and seal it…Voilà!

Elephant Wall Decoration

What You Need:

• Pattern from my book - Crochet Animal Rugs
• Size 10 crochet thread – approximately 875yd (800m)
• 1.9mm (US size 5) steel hook
• Wall frame or poster frame, at least 3in (7.6cm) larger than the finished wall hanging on each side
• Matboard backing that fi ts in frame
• Matboard edging that fi ts in frame
• Chenille needle with sharp point
• Finger guard (thimble)
• Fabric stiffener or corn starch
• Blocking board
• Rust-proof straight pins
• Scotch tape or packing tape

Follow the pattern instructions, working with 1 strand of size 10 crochet thread
and a 1.9 mm (US size 5) steel hook to make a 14in x 10½in elephant. Soak the finished piece in the fabric stiffener or in the corn starch mixture for 2-5 minutes (you can find stiffening recipes here on my blog). Remove the elephant from the stiffener and squeeze the excess moisture out. Stretch and pin it onto the blocking board, and allow to dry. It may take up to 24 hours to dry at room temperature or just a few hours in the sun.

Position the elephant in the middle of the matboard backing inside of the matboard edging. Make a few tubes out of packing tape with the sticky side facing out and use them to secure the wall hanging onto the matboard backing temporarily. 

Thread the chenille needle with the crochet thread used for making your elephant. Attach the wall hanging to the matboard backing by basting (tacking) it around the edge. Make a few tiny stitches on the right side between the long thread floats on the wrong side. Remove the packing tape tubes as you go. Tie all the ends on the back of the matboard to secure them. Insert the matboard backing with the attached elephant into the frame along with the matboard edging and seal the frame. Mount the frame onto the wall.

Other Ideas

Rug patterns can also be used for making table covers or placemats by utilizing finer yarn and a reduced hook size. Experimentation may be necessary, but here are some charming ideas.