As woven textiles, tapestries have a built-in tension in the weave. It is natural for them to expand and contract slightly depending on the humidity. A certain amount of waving or slight curling is part of the charm! However, deep waving and curling can be controlled by taking simple precautions when hanging.

Don't hang your tapestry in hot, direct sun. All textiles fade, but a greenhouse" sun condition will greatly accelerate fading and fiber deterioration. Most tapestries-especially new reproductions with colorfast dyes-can be safely displayed in most rooms of your house where indirect sunlight and humidity are normal. Bathrooms may be too humid unless well vented. Kitchen tapestries may also be subject to excessive heat and fiber absorption of food odors.

Flat-to-Wall Hanging prevents tapestry waving

Your tapestry will look better and age better if it is installed flat against a wall. A tapestry hung by conventional rod and finials with brackets holding it 2 to 5 inches out from the wall will develop deep waving even if it has a weight bar inserted along the bottom. If the tapestry wall hanging is mounted flat to the wall, it gains support from the wall and has one less direction in which to wave. Most good galleries and all museums display tapestries hung flat against the wall, creating magnificent wall art.

If it's mounted flat to the wall, weighting the bottom edge is generally not necessary except in special conditions-high traffic areas where "fluttering" might be continuous i.e. a restaurant or hotel. Avoid using metal corner weights that will stress at points where they're installed and cause unnecessary waving. In some cases, you may wish to prevent viewing behind a tapestry wall hanging or tame an unsightly curl-a strip of double-sided Velcro will do the job.