Blog
Caring for woven baskets in the KZN humidity
A gallery wall works best when you plan it on the floor first. Lay your pieces out, mix sizes and leave about five centimetres between frames. Beadwork panels, woven discs and small prints sit well together.
Start with the largest piece near the centre and build outward. Use paper templates to test the spacing before you hammer a single nail. Our makers in the Midlands suggest keeping one colour repeating across the wall, so the whole group feels calm and connected.
BEADWORK
Kraft Paper Gift Bags with Fynbos Sprig
Original price was: R85.00.R69.00Current price is: R69.00.
Handmade art needs a little room to breathe. Keep the centre of your arrangement at eye level, about 150 cm from the floor. Group pieces by colour or material rather than by size alone. A leather hanging, a ceramic plate and a beaded panel can share a wall happily when the spacing stays even. Step back often and look again before you commit.
Hanging heavy pieces needs the right fixings. Use wall plugs for brick and plasterboard anchors for hollow walls, and check the weight of each piece first. Woven baskets and clay plates are lighter than they look, but a framed wood panel can be heavy. When in doubt, ask us on WhatsApp and we will advise you on the best way to hang it.
Maker tip: Shop wall art
Hanging heavy pieces needs the right fixings. Use wall plugs for brick and plasterboard anchors for hollow walls, and check the weight of each piece first. Woven baskets and clay plates are lighter than they look, but a framed wood panel can be heavy. When in doubt, ask us on WhatsApp and we will advise you on the best way to hang it.
Maker tip: Shop wall art
Hanging heavy pieces needs the right fixings. Use wall plugs for brick and plasterboard anchors for hollow walls, and check the weight of each piece first. Woven baskets and clay plates are lighter than they look, but a framed wood panel can be heavy. When in doubt, ask us on WhatsApp and we will advise you on the best way to hang it.
Maker tip: Shop wall art
Hanging heavy pieces needs the right fixings. Use wall plugs for brick and plasterboard anchors for hollow walls, and check the weight of each piece first. Woven baskets and clay plates are lighter than they look, but a framed wood panel can be heavy. When in doubt, ask us on WhatsApp and we will advise you on the best way to hang it.
Maker tip: Shop wall art
BASKETS
Kraft Paper Gift Bags with Fynbos Sprig
Original price was: R85.00.R69.00Current price is: R69.00.Handmade art needs a little room to breathe. Keep the centre of your arrangement at eye level, about 150 cm from the floor. Group pieces by colour or material rather than by size alone. A leather hanging, a ceramic plate and a beaded panel can share a wall happily when the spacing stays even. Step back often and look again before you commit.
Hanging basics
Light changes everything on a wall. Handmade pieces show their texture best when sunlight falls from the side, so avoid hanging beadwork opposite a bright window all day. Fading is slow but real. In a Pietermaritzburg summer, a little shade or a curtain keeps the colours rich for many years. Rotate your pieces each season to give each one a rest.
Choosing colour
Light changes everything on a wall. Handmade pieces show their texture best when sunlight falls from the side, so avoid hanging beadwork opposite a bright window all day. Fading is slow but real. In a Pietermaritzburg summer, a little shade or a curtain keeps the colours rich for many years. Rotate your pieces each season to give each one a rest.
Spacing pieces
Light changes everything on a wall. Handmade pieces show their texture best when sunlight falls from the side, so avoid hanging beadwork opposite a bright window all day. Fading is slow but real. In a Pietermaritzburg summer, a little shade or a curtain keeps the colours rich for many years. Rotate your pieces each season to give each one a rest.
Light and shade
Light changes everything on a wall. Handmade pieces show their texture best when sunlight falls from the side, so avoid hanging beadwork opposite a bright window all day. Fading is slow but real. In a Pietermaritzburg summer, a little shade or a curtain keeps the colours rich for many years. Rotate your pieces each season to give each one a rest.
Handmade art needs a little room to breathe. Keep the centre of your arrangement at eye level, about 150 cm from the floor. Group pieces by colour or material rather than by size alone. A leather hanging, a ceramic plate and a beaded panel can share a wall happily when the spacing stays even. Step back often and look again before you commit.
CERAMICS
Kraft Paper Gift Bags with Fynbos Sprig
Original price was: R85.00.R69.00Current price is: R69.00.Start small if a full wall feels like too much. Pick three pieces you love and hang them in a triangle. Add one more each month as you find new makers. Local craft markets, like the one in Pietermaritzburg, are a great place to find affordable art. Buy what you enjoy looking at, and the wall will take care of itself.
Frames are optional. A simple wooden peg, a leather loop or a length of twine can hold a woven disc or a cloth print without fuss. Unframed pieces feel relaxed and warm. Framed ones feel formal. Mix both if you like, but keep the frame colours close to each other. Our Howick makers often use pine offcuts, which cost very little and look good with almost anything.
Start small if a full wall feels like too much. Pick three pieces you love and hang them in a triangle. Add one more each month as you find new makers. Local craft markets, like the one in Pietermaritzburg, are a great place to find affordable art. Buy what you enjoy looking at, and the wall will take care of itself.
Frames are optional. A simple wooden peg, a leather loop or a length of twine can hold a woven disc or a cloth print without fuss. Unframed pieces feel relaxed and warm. Framed ones feel formal. Mix both if you like, but keep the frame colours close to each other. Our Howick makers often use pine offcuts, which cost very little and look good with almost anything.
Start small if a full wall feels like too much. Pick three pieces you love and hang them in a triangle. Add one more each month as you find new makers. Local craft markets, like the one in Pietermaritzburg, are a great place to find affordable art. Buy what you enjoy looking at, and the wall will take care of itself.
Frames are optional. A simple wooden peg, a leather loop or a length of twine can hold a woven disc or a cloth print without fuss. Unframed pieces feel relaxed and warm. Framed ones feel formal. Mix both if you like, but keep the frame colours close to each other. Our Howick makers often use pine offcuts, which cost very little and look good with almost anything.
