Multicolor Wall Decor

630 items

The Village Council

Your answers straight from the village experts

+ - How do I care for my tapestry?

As with any work of art, direct sunlight will fade colors over time, especially for tapestries with natural dyes. We recommend hanging your tapestry in an area that avoids direct sun exposure to maintain vibrancy. To clean your woven tapestry, use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment or dry clean if necessary. Spot treatment can also be used with a gentle fabric cleaner, but we recommend testing it on a small area first. Alternatively, you may hand wash your tapestry using cold water, then hang it to dry in the shade. Some tapestries made from cotton fabric may be machine washed on cold.

+ - What are the most common materials used to make tapestries?

When it comes to handcrafted traditional tapestries, the most common materials include wool, cotton, silk, and natural dyes. Certain regions incorporate unique materials or designs into their tapestries. In the Andes, alpaca fiber is commonly used. In India, one finds batik printed cotton. In Mexico and Central America sheep wool and natural cotton threads are frequently used. In Thailand, rich silk material is a feature of handmade tapestries.

+ - What makes a tapestry eco-friendly?

To craft an eco-friendly tapestry, traditional artisans hold themselves to high standards, both in terms of materials and processes. Natural fibers, textiles, and dyes are derived from plants and trees. Some artisans even incorporate recycled or upcycled materials in their commitment to eco-friendly processes. Traditional art forms that are passed down through the generations are often painstakingly made by hand. They are naturally eco-friendly, as they avoid mass production, factory runoff, and industrial waste. This also means that each tapestry is uniquetruly one of a kind.

+ - Are tapestries a good way to insulate a room?

When it comes to tapestries, function meets style! A handmade tapestry can be a great way to brighten up any living space while providing insulation against the cold. Materials like alpaca and sheep wool create natural warmth by trapping cool air inside the cloth, creating a more stable temperature within the room.

+ - Are tapestries handmade?

While factory-produced tapestries are increasingly available to consumers, traditional, authentic tapestries are handmade by artisans who often learn the artform from older generations. Skilled makers from the Andes, India, Mexico and Thailand make use of foot-treadle or backstrap looms, where they interweave warp and weft threads and then tamp them down into a tight stitch. An artisan may finish a handmade tapestry by using a needle and thread or a sewing machine for final touches.

+ - What are the most popular tapestry designs?

Traditional tapestries depict scenes and images which are drawn from the lives and natural environments of the artisans who craft them. Some include geometric designs, like the mandala, which is thought to represent wholeness and symmetry. Others make use of paisley, floral, or leafy patterns, particularly in tapestries from India. Central American tapestries may incorporate geometric motifs, animals, and people, while Mexican tapestries are often colorful with Greca patterns and designs. Thai artisans use symbols that are popular within Thai culture, religious characters, animal scenes, or depictions of human forms. Unique tapestries from the Andes are often vibrant with elaborate scenes that incorporate folklore, village life, and pastoral existence.

+ - What are traditional methods of making tapestries?

The methods for making tapestries vary as widely as the regions from which they come. Because many traditional artisans adopt the methods of their ancestors, they have kept those ancient artforms alive and well. In the Andes, weavers often work on a wooden treadle loom in which they use foot pedals, called treadles, to control the weave of the tapestry. In Central America, the treadle loom and the backstrap loom are both integral to tapestry art. The backstrap loom is one of the oldest techniques which dates back thousands of years, in which one part of the loom is attached to the weaver and the other part is attached to a fixed object (historically, a tree). To create vibrant color, artisans embroider and dye their tapestries with natural plants and pigments. Around the world, weavers use tie-dye, Dabu (the application of wax or gum clay and resin to the cloth to create a diffuse color effect), Batik (an ancient method in which dye-resistant wax is applied to cloth to create select patterns of color), hand embroidery, and patchwork to create unique and diverse tapestry art.

+ - Where did tapestries originate?

The tapestry is an ancient textile art form that dates back thousands of years to early civilizations in Peru, Egypt, and Thailand. In Peru, skilled weavers used colorful camelid fiber threads to create beautiful tapestries for ritualistic funeral mantles. Ancient Incas wove short tunics (Unku) to show importance and social status. Ancient Egyptians crafted shroud-like tapestries to bury their dead. Tapestries gained international prominence when Europeans began to decorate their castles and churches with elaborate textiles that depicted historical scenes, as well as religious messages. Today, skilled artisans preserve the ancient techniques of their ancestors. In Thailand, for example, silk weavers are renowned for techniques that have been used since the rule of the Angkor kings circa 800 A.D. In Central America, contemporary weavers pay homage to early Mayan artisans who used plants, shells, and even snails to color their first tapestries in the 15th century. In India, where some of the first tapestries were made and the textile industry became the base of their economy, the skills of generations past still live on in modern artisans.

Featured Reviews

Decoupage cross, 'Guadalupe, Queen of Heaven'

Elaine M.

Sep 21, 2016

My First Novica Purchase From Ana Maria Gonzales

Over time I have purchased a number of Ana Maria's stunning decoupage crosses and decorative boxes. This is the one that began my collection. While the feeling is rustic and antique, the cross itself is finely and perfectly finished--without flaw. The picture doesn't do it justice. There is substance to the pinewood and the edge is beveled and beautifully finished in a muted gold. The metal ring for hanging has the appearance of aged iron.The colors are clear, yet soft. The size is 11 inches high, small enough to fit above a doorway or in a grouping of objects, and still large enough to make an impression when hung alone. This is a very tasteful cross, crafted with care and artistry. I was so happy when I received it, that I immediately ordered a second cross from the artist, the larger "Virgin Morenita Guadalupe."

A Decorative Cross

Beautiful

Church Decoration.

Decorative Crosses For Wall

Decoupage Mexico

Decoupage Wall Art Mounted

Different

Folk Art

Folk Decor

Mexican And Southwestern Wall Decor

Batik rayon wall hanging, 'Meditation Chakra'

Ernest

Mar 20, 2022

Awesome Wall Hanging

This item is very well made and I was so happy when it arrived. I had ordered one initially and it never arrived getting lost somewhere in Memphis in the US. NOVICA customer service was great and ensured that I would finally receive one. The hanging is larger than I thought and is awesome. Very colourful and bright with chakra colours. A beautiful gift for any metaphysical friend and a colourful addition for a unique piece of art in your home.

A Hanging Decoration

Bright

Chakras

Colorful

Colorful Wall Art

Emphasis On Each Chakra

Mandalas

Narrow Wall Hanging

Rainbow

Reverse-painted glass wall accent mirror, 'Cusco Primrose'

Rachel

Jan 18, 2021

absolute perfection

This mirror is so beautiful and is just what I would have loved to bring home from Peru myself if I'd been able to put something so precious in my backpack! Thank you for the opportunity to purchase such an amazing piece of art.

Handmade Crafts From Around The World

Multicolor Wall Decor

Hand Painted Wall Decor

Reverse Painted Glass Wall Decor

Wall Decor

Featured Artist

Gliseria Soto Reverse-painted glass and hand-carved wall mirrors

(47)

"My husband and I were blessed eight beautiful children. They are my reason for being, my motivation to go on."

"Ever since I was a girl, I had to work hard to help my family. I always enjoyed drawing even though fate took me down a different path. While... read more