Conceal your TV behind a beautiful quilt
I hate house work. If I had the magical powers of Harry Potter I would use them a lot for cleaning my house. A boring but very practical and liberating use of magic. Since I am unlikely to gain such powers, I have to settle for whatever instant housework gratification I can arrange.
One thing I can do is instantly hide the TV, making the unappealing blank black space on the wall disappear, as quickly as a vanishing spell.
I designed a frame that surrounds the TV. The frame holds a quilt that hides the TV. When it’s time to watch TV, the quilt is drawn up and out of the way. When you want to conceal the TV, just pull the string and down comes the quilt.
The Quilt Frame TV Cover is a wooden frame that protrudes from the wall like a bookcase without shelves, not like a picture frame. A quilt is fastened to the top of the frame. A Roman shade apparatus is attached to the inside of the quit. To raise or lower the quilt, you pull a string, just like a window shade operates. When the quilt is lowered, the TV is completely concealed. And, for us quilters, we have a great place to display a quilt.
A TV hides behind this quilt.
Is your TV a candidate for the Quilt Frame for TV Cover?
The Quilt frame TV Cover is a satisfying project that transforms your blank TV into a personal work of art. Listed below are some things for you to consider as you plan the project, and an optional, helpful quiz you can take at the end.
Consider your TV
TV manufacturers use the diagonal measurement of the screen to describe the TV size. A 55” TV has screen that measures 55” from corner to diagonal corner. However, the side to side and top to bottom measurements vary slightly, even if among TVs of the same diagonal screen size. This frame works for TVs of the 55” to 65” screen sizes. I haven’t tested it on a larger TV.
Consider your wall space
The frame is larger than the TV. Just because you have a great place for your TV doesn’t mean there will be room for the frame.
Here is the formula for determining the finished size of the frame, in inches:
(Height of the TV x 1.33) + 1.5" = height of the frame
Width of the TV + 5.5" = width of the frame
The quilt extends a few inches on each side of the frame, and a few inches below the frame, so keep this in mind as you consider the space where you want to hang the frame.
Consider your wall mount
The most difficult aspect of this project was getting the TV mounted on the wall. My husband and my son, two very handy guys, together took all day to do this. But, not because of the quilt frame. It was because mounting a TV on the wall is hard. You will likely need some help with this part. If your TV is already mounted, you may have to move it to accommodate the frame.
Also, consider how far out from the wall your mounting bracket holds the TV. There are many bracket types on the market. You want one that keeps the TV as close to the wall as possible. Standard widths of lumber are 5 1/2,” 7 1/2’” and 9 1/2” wide. So if you want to use the narrow option of 5 1/2” lumber, you should have a mounting bracket that places the outer surface of the TV no more than 5” from the wall. If the TV is 5”-7” from the wall, use 7 1/2” wide lumber. For this project, the most a TV can protrude from the wall is 9” and that will require that the wider option of 9 1/2” lumber be used.
Frame made of 5 1/2" wide lumber
Consider your skills
Included in the kit are the components that make up the shade apparatus, and detailed instructions with many illustrations. Lumber and hardware for the frame must be purchased separately at a hardware or home improvement store.
The instructions include a worksheet for you to fill in your TV measurements and then calculate the frame measurements based on the size of your TV. You can have the lumber cut to size at the store.
You will need the ability to take accurate measurements, do some simple math, and operate a drill. If I can do this project, mostly anyone can.
Consider the quilt
Many times, the exact size of a quilt project does not matter much. In this case, the quilt needs to be as close to the size calculated on the worksheet as possible. And it should be as accurate a rectangle as possible. This project will require a custom made quilt with specific measurements.
The quilt also needs to be pliable enough to fold easily with the Roman shade. A quilt that has dense quilting or lots of layers of fabric and/or construction materials is not a good choice for this project. A quilt that that drapes like a bed cover works well. I used light weight polyester batting to good effect.
Quilt drawn up
Final quiz to determine if Quilt Frame for TV Cover is a good choice for you
1) Do you have, or plan to have, a wall mounted TV, in the size range of 55”-65”? If no, you absolutely don’t need this product.
2) Do the height and width math problem above. Do you have wall space for the frame and quilt? Again, “no” eliminates the option.
3) Measure the distance from the wall to the outermost surface of your wall mounted TV. Is it less than 9”, or can you get a bracket that holds the TV less than 9” from the wall?
4) Do you quilt, or do you know someone anxious to make you a beautiful custom quilt to place on your frame? If no, ask around. The world is full of quilt crazed people. Surely someone can help you.
5) Can you take accurate measurements and operate a power drill, or know someone who can help you with this? If no, consider practicing these simple skills until you are proficient. Think how powerful you will feel if you can learn to build something all by yourself.
6) Do you have any skills you can trade with someone else who can help you with questions 4 and/or 5? I bet you do.
The ideal candidate for this project will answer “yes” to all questions. The answer to 1-3 must all be “yes.” “Yes” is also the best answer to the last three questions, but if these answers are “no” you can work on these issues if you still want the frame.
I hope this has been helpful and that you decide you want to feel the magical power of making your TV disappear. Pulling a string to hide your TV could be almost as satisfying as casting a vanishing spell.
Purchase the Quilt Frame for TV Cover, Kit and Instructions, here.