How to Hang a Rug or Fabric Wall Hanging

The easiest way to hang a rug or a fabric wall hanging is to sew a cotton sleeve across the back, near the top, slide a rod through it, and rest the rod on two brackets. The weight is shared along the whole top edge, nothing goes through the rug, and you can lift it down in seconds. For a heavy or very large rug, hook-and-loop tape on a wooden strip holds it even more firmly.

That is the short answer. The rest of this guide walks you through it step by step, so your rug hangs straight, stays flat, and comes down later without a mark. Everything here works the same way for a textile wall hanging, because a wall hanging made in the shape of a small rug hangs exactly like one.

Whichever method you choose, two rules keep a rug safe:

1. Spread the weight evenly along the whole top edge.

2. Never put anything through the rug, and never stick anything to it.

In this guide you will find five safe ways to hang a rug, what to do with fringe and tassels, how to hang a heavy rug, how to hang one without nails or drilling, and how high to hang it above a sofa or a bed. If you have a silk rug or a silk wall hanging, there is a section just for you too.

Ten minutes of checking now can save a rug from falling later.

Weigh it. Stand on a bathroom scale and note your weight. Then pick up the rolled rug and step on again. The difference is the weight of the rug. A flat embroidered wall hanging is light. A thick knotted wool rug of the same size can weigh several times more. The weight decides which method you use and which wall fixings you need.

Measure the width. Measure straight across the edge that will go at the top. You need this number for the rod, the fabric sleeve or the wooden strip.

Decide which way is up. Some designs have a clear top and bottom, like a tree growing up from the ground or an arch shaped like a window. Hang those the way the picture reads. If your rug has a pile (a soft, raised surface), run your hand along it. One direction feels smooth, and the other feels rough. Hang it so the smooth direction points down. The pile then lies flat, the colour looks even, and dust slides off instead of settling in.

• A hollow sound usually means plasterboard (drywall). Screws need wall anchors, or better, a stud behind the board. In most homes, the upright studs sit about 40 cm (16 inches) apart, sometimes 60 cm (24 inches). A stud finder from a hardware shop will show you where they are.
• A solid sound usually means brick, block, concrete or old plaster. You will need a masonry drill bit and plastic wall plugs.

Whatever your wall is made of, use fixings rated for more than the weight of the rug. Twice the weight is a safe rule.

• A tape measure, a pencil, and a spirit level
• A drill, screws, and the right anchors or plugs for your wall
• A wooden dowel or curtain rod, and two brackets
• Strong cotton thread and a needle (a curved needle makes sewing into a rug much easier)
• A strip of plain cotton fabric or cotton webbing
• Sew-on hook-and-loop tape (not the self-adhesive kind)
• A thin wooden strip, called a batten, and a staple gun
• A friend, if the rug is wider than your arms can reach

Best for: most rugs and wall hangings, from light to medium weight. This is the easiest method and the one we suggest for most people.

A sleeve is a fabric tube sewn across the back of the rug, near the top. A rod slides through it and rests on two brackets. The weight hangs evenly from the whole sleeve, and you can lift the rug down in seconds.

1. Cut a strip of cotton fabric about 10 cm (4 inches) wide. Make it a little shorter than the rug is wide, about 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) short at each end, so the sleeve stays hidden behind the rug.
2. Hem the long edges so they don't fray. Or skip this step and use ready-made cotton webbing.
3. Pin the strip across the back of the rug, about 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) below the top edge. Leave a little slack in the strip so there is room for the rod. If the rod is squeezed tight against the rug, it makes a bulge on the front.
4. Sew along the top and bottom edges of the strip with small stitches, one every 2 to 3 cm (about 1 inch). Catch only the back of the rug with the needle, so the thread doesn't show on the front. Keep the stitches snug but not tight.
5. Choose a rod. A wooden dowel about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick is fine for most pieces. For a heavy rug, use a thicker rod or a metal one so it doesn't bend in the middle.
6. Fix two brackets to the wall, level with each other. Check with a spirit level before you drill. For a wide rug, add a third bracket in the middle and leave a small gap in the sleeve so the bracket can reach the rod.
7. Slide the rod through the sleeve and lift it onto the brackets.

You can show the rod or hide it. To show it, use a rod a little longer than the rug so the ends sit on brackets just past each side. A rod with decorative ends looks good here. To hide it, use a rod slightly longer than the sleeve but shorter than the rug, so the brackets sit in the small space behind each end of the rug.

Best for: heavy rugs, large rugs, and pieces you want to sit perfectly flat against the wall. Many museums hang their textiles this way.

Hook-and-loop tape (often sold as Velcro) has two sides: a soft, fuzzy loop side and a rough hook side. The soft side is sewn to the rug. The rough side is fixed to a wooden strip on the wall. Press them together, and the rug is held along its full width.

1. Buy sew-on hook-and-loop tape about 5 cm (2 inches) wide, a little shorter than the rug is wide. Don't use the self-adhesive kind on a rug. The glue will stain it.
2. Sew the soft (loop) side onto a strip of cotton webbing first. Then sew the webbing across the back of the rug near the top, with small stitches through the back only. This extra layer protects the rug and makes the tape easy to remove later. Always put the soft side on the rug. The rough side can snag and pull threads.
3. Cut a thin wooden strip (a batten) the same length as the tape. Paint or varnish it, and let it dry for a few days. Bare wood gives off natural acids that can stain a textile over time. Sealing the wood stops this.
4. Staple the rough (hook) side of the tape along the front of the batten.
5. Screw the batten to the wall, level, into studs or proper wall anchors. For a heavy rug, put a screw every 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inches).
6. Press the rug on, starting in the middle and working out to each end, so it goes on straight.

This is the strongest and flattest method. The rug sits close to the wall, and nothing shows. It takes the most work to set up, but you only do it once.

Best for: light rugs and wall hangings, when you want the quickest option.

A clip rail is a curtain rod with ring clips hanging from it. The clips hold the top edge of the rug, and the rod rests on two brackets.

1. Fix a curtain rod to the wall with two brackets, a little wider than the rug.
2. Clip the top edge of the rug every 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches). The closer the clips, the more evenly the weight is shared.
3. Use clips with flat, smooth jaws, not teeth. Slip a small folded piece of plain cotton inside each clip so it doesn't press marks into the fibres.
4. Grip the woven or stitched edge, just below any fringe. Never clip the fringe itself.

Clips are quick, and they look relaxed, which suits a casual room. The trade-off is that each clip holds only a small piece of the edge, so the weight isn't shared quite as evenly as with a sleeve. Keep this method for lighter pieces, and shift the clips a little every few months so they don't press on the same spots.

Best for: light, fringed rugs, and a simple natural wood look.

This method holds the top edge between two thin strips of wood, like a sandwich. Nothing goes through the rug.

1. Cut two thin wooden strips, about 2 cm by 2 cm (roughly 1 inch by 1 inch), each a few centimetres longer than the rug is wide.
2. Glue a strip of felt along the inside face of each piece of wood, so the wood never rubs the rug directly.
3. Lay the top edge of the rug between the two strips, just below the fringe.
4. Join the strips at each end, past the edges of the rug, with a small bolt, a clamp, or a strong cord. Tighten until the rug is held firmly but not crushed.
5. Tie a cord from one end of the strips to the other and hang it from a hook on the wall. For anything wider than about 1 metre (3 feet), hang it from two hooks.

This looks lovely in a boho or rustic room, and the top fringe can fall forward over the wood. Because the wood presses on the rug, use it only for lighter pieces.

Best for: small rugs, fragments, and old or valuable pieces you want to protect.

A picture framer mounts the rug on a board covered in plain fabric and stitches it in place all over, then fits a deep frame around it. The stitches share the weight across the whole rug, so no single edge carries it.

If you do it yourself, the same rules apply:

• Stitch the rug to the board. Never glue it.
• Use acid-free board, covered in plain cotton or linen.
• If you add glass, keep it off the rug. Use a deep frame or spacers so the glass never touches the fibres. Glass pressed against a textile can trap moisture. UV-filtering glass also slows fading.

For an antique rug, or anything you would hate to lose, ask a framer who has worked with textiles before.

Which Method Should You Use?

Fringe is the part people worry about most, and it is simpler than it looks.

Never hang a rug by its fringe. On a knotted rug, the fringe is often the ends of the threads that run through the whole rug. Pulling on them puts all the weight on a few loose strands. On a wall hanging, the fringe is a finishing detail and was never meant to hold weight. Either way, the support belongs on the body of the rug, just below the fringe.

For the top fringe, you have three choices:

• Let it fall in front. Sew the sleeve or the hook-and-loop just below the fringe, and let the fringe hang down over the rod or batten. It hides the hardware and looks relaxed.
• Tuck it behind. Let the fringe lie flat against the back of the rug, behind the sleeve. Don't fold it tightly or press it under anything, or it will kink.
• Let the wood frame it. With the two-slat clamp, the fringe sits above the wood and falls forward on its own.

For the bottom fringe, let it hang free. Comb it straight with your fingers after you hang the rug, and again each time you dust. Don't trim it to make it even. Handmade fringe is never perfectly even, and cutting it can loosen the knots that hold it in place.

Tassels work the same way. Keep them free, and keep the weight off them.

If you rent, or you just don't want holes in the wall, you still have options. The honest limit is weight. These only work for light pieces, like an embroidered wall hanging or a thin flatwoven rug.

• Adhesive wall hooks and a light rod. Sew a sleeve to the rug (Method 1), slide a light wooden dowel through it, and rest the ends on two strong adhesive wall hooks. Check the weight rating on the pack, and choose hooks that together hold at least twice what the rug and rod weigh. The hooks stick to the wall. Nothing sticks to the rug.
• A tension rod in an alcove. If you have a recess, like the gap between two cupboards or a window bay, a spring tension rod can hold a sleeved hanging with no fixings at all.
• A picture rail. Many older homes have a wooden rail running around the room near the ceiling. Picture rail hooks and cords can hold a rod at any height you like.

Don't put a heavy rug on adhesive hooks. When they let go, they usually let go all at once.

Silk is finer than wool, and it needs a little extra care on the wall.

• Use a sleeve or hook-and-loop. Both spread the weight evenly and both are gentle on fine threads. If you use clips, pad each one with cotton.
• Keep it out of direct sunlight. Silk fades faster than wool in strong sun. A wall that gets bright light for an hour or two a day is fine. A wall in full sun all afternoon is not.
• Keep it away from heat and steam. Not above a radiator, a fireplace or a stove, and not in a bathroom.
• Handle it with clean, dry hands. Silk picks up marks from skin oils and hand cream.
• Turn it end to end every six months, so the light falls evenly and one edge doesn't carry the weight all the time.

Our silk embroidered wall hangings are made to go on a wall. Each one is embroidered by hand in silk thread on a strong cotton base, and finished with fringe at the ends, in the size and shape of a small rug. Because they are flat and light, a simple sleeve and rod is all most of them need.

Some of them have a clear top and bottom. The tree of life silk wall hanging rises from the bottom of the piece into a flowering tree under an arched frame, and the peacock silk wall hanging sets two peacocks under an arch. Both read best hung upright, and both suit a tall wall in a hallway or stairwell. Others, like the navy and copper Persian-style medallion wall hanging, are built around a central medallion with a border on every side, so they look balanced above a sofa, a bed, or a sideboard.

If you'd like silk on the floor as well, browse our handmade silk rugs.

On an open wall, hang the rug so its centre sits about 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 inches) from the floor. Galleries use this height because it matches the eye level of most adults. Above a sofa, leave 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches) between the back of the sofa and the bottom of the rug, counting the fringe. A piece about two-thirds as wide as the sofa looks balanced. Above a bed, a wide rug makes a soft headboard. Hang it 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) above the headboard, or just above the mattress if you have no headboard, so the bed and the rug read as one. Over a bed, use Method 1 or Method 2, so nothing can come loose above someone's head. In a stairwell or hallway, a tall, upright piece fills a narrow wall and draws the eye up. In an entryway, a wall rug is the first thing people see when they walk in, and it will never meet a wet shoe.

Places to avoid:

• A wall in direct sun for hours each day
• Above a radiator, fireplace, heater or stove
• Bathrooms and kitchens, where steam and cooking grease settle into the fibres
• A damp outside wall. If you have no other choice, a batten (Method 2) holds the rug a little away from the wall so air can move behind it.

A rug on the wall is usually the biggest thing on that wall, so let it lead.

Pick one colour from it and repeat it. 

A red in the rug looks planned when a cushion or a throw nearby carries the same red. One or two echoes is enough. Our silk embroidered cushion covers are made in silk on a cotton base, like the wall hangings, so the two sit well together. The birds floral tree cushion cover picks up the birds and blossoms of the tree of life wall hanging. The red blue medallion geometric cushion cover pairs with the red and royal blue medallion wall hanging.

Give it space. Leave some empty wall around it. A rug crowded by shelves and frames loses its shape.

Mix textures. A textile next to a painting is a good pairing: soft stitches beside brushwork. If you are building a gallery wall, hang the textile first as the anchor, then add smaller pieces around it. Our hand-painted canvas paintings are made in the same town, Pokhara, and there is a separate guide to caring for a canvas painting if you hang one nearby.

Light it from the side. Soft light from one side brings out the texture of the stitches or the pile. Keep spotlights and lamps a good distance away, because heat and strong light both fade fibres over time.

For more pieces made to go together, browse the full home decor collection.

A rug on the wall needs far less care than one on the floor, because nobody walks on it. A few habits keep it looking good for years.

• Dust it every few months. Use a soft brush or a vacuum on its lowest setting with a piece of net or mesh held over the nozzle. Work gently in the direction of the pile or the stitches.
• Check the back for moths a few times a year, especially on wool and silk. Moths like dark, quiet places, and the back of a hanging rug is one. Look for small holes, bare patches, or tiny cases stuck in the fibres.
• Turn it end to end every six months to a year.
• Take it down for a proper clean. For stains, go to a professional rug cleaner. For silk, choose a cleaner who has worked with silk before. Don't wash a rug or a wall hanging in a machine.
• Store it rolled, never folded. Roll it loosely around a cardboard tube with a layer of acid-free tissue, wrap it in a cotton sheet (not plastic), and keep it somewhere dry. Folding leaves creases that can crack the backing or flatten the stitches.

• Nails, tacks or staples through the rug
• Glue, tape or self-adhesive strips on the back
• Hanging it from two corners only
• Hanging it by the fringe or tassels
• Carpet gripper strips (the spiked strips used to fit wall-to-wall carpet) on anything fine
• Toothed metal clamps on silk or thin rugs
• A sunny wall, or a spot above a heater or fire
• Adhesive hooks under a heavy rug, or above a bed

Every wall hanging we sell is embroidered by hand in our own workshop in Pokhara, Nepal. Our artisans include people with disabilities and single mothers, who work with us all year round. We make these pieces in the size and shape of a small rug, fringe and all, so they are ready to become the centre of a wall. If you are ever in Nepal, you are welcome to visit us in Pokhara and watch the embroidery being made.

If you are choosing your first piece, here are three good places to start:

• The tree of life silk wall hanging, for a tall wall in a hallway, a stairwell or a quiet bedroom
• The red and royal blue medallion silk wall hanging, for a classic room with dark wood and warm colours
• The mustard and cobalt geometric silk wall hanging, for a modern or mid-century room that needs one bold piece

Or browse all of our silk embroidered wall hangings and find the one that fits your wall.

Peacock Silk Wall Hanging with Peonies on Navy Blue

$250

Rust Red and Orange Abstract Silk Embroidered Wall Hanging

$250

Coral and Blue Abstract Faces Silk Embroidered Wall Hanging

$250

Emerald Green Persian Medallion Silk Wall Hanging Rug

$250

Folk Art Woman with Birds Silk Embroidered Wall Hanging

$250

Sage Green and Teal Abstract Silk Embroidered Wall Hanging

$250

1. What is the best way to hang a rug on the wall?

For most rugs, a sleeve and rod is the best way. You sew a fabric tube across the back near the top, slide a rod through it, and rest the rod on two brackets. It spreads the weight evenly; it doesn't damage the rug, and you can take the rug down in seconds. For a heavy or very large rug, hook-and-loop tape on a wooden strip is stronger and holds the rug flatter.

2. Why do people in Russia and Eastern Europe hang rugs on the wall?

For many families, it started as a practical choice. A thick rug on the wall kept out the cold, and it made thin apartment walls a little quieter. A good carpet was also a treasured possession, so hanging it up showed it off and kept it from wearing out on the floor. Many homes in the region still have one, and it is a familiar sight in family photos.

3. Can you hang any rug on the wall?

Most rugs, yes. Light, flat, and flexible pieces are the easiest, such as flatwoven rugs, embroidered wall hangings, and small knotted rugs. Very heavy, thick, or stiff rugs are harder and need a strong batten and screws into studs. Rugs with a rubber or latex backing are not a good choice because the backing can crack and crumble over time. If a rug is very old, check with a textile conservator first.

4. Will hanging a rug on the wall damage it?

Not if the weight is spread evenly and nothing goes through the rug or sticks to it. In fact, the wall is usually gentler than the floor, because there are no shoes, furniture or spills. The two things to watch are sunlight, which fades colours, and long-term pull on the top edge. Keep it off a sunny wall, and turn it end to end every six months to a year.

5. How do you hang a round rug on the wall?

Sew a straight strip of hook-and-loop tape across the back of the rug, about a third of the way down from the top, where the rug is wide enough to carry its weight. Fix the matching strip to a wooden batten on the wall and press the rug on. The top of the rug then curves naturally above the strip. A small round rug can also be stitched onto a round, fabric-covered board and hung like a picture.

6. Does hanging a rug on the wall help with sound?

It helps a little inside the room. A rug absorbs some of the sound that would bounce off a bare wall, so a room with hard floors and little furniture feels less echoey. It won't soundproof a wall or stop noise from the neighbours, though. That needs building work. A thicker rug absorbs more sound than a thin one.

7. Can I put the rug back on the floor later?

A floor rug, yes. If you used a sleeve or hook-and-loop sewn on with small stitches, you can snip the threads and remove it without a trace. Our silk embroidered wall hangings are a different case. They are made to be looked at, and fine silk embroidery wears quickly under shoes and furniture, so we suggest keeping them on the wall, over the back of a sofa, or across the foot of a bed.