Creative Quilt Border Design Ideas to Finish Your Quilt

Creative Quilt Border Ideas to Frame Your Quilt Artfully

Whether you’re a beginner quilter or a seasoned pro, choosing the perfect border can bring your whole quilt together beautifully. From my experience, the border is one of the most exciting parts of designing a quilt! The border frames the quilt center, and provides opportunities for creativity. There are endless quilt border possibilities – the options can feel overwhelming when you’re starting a new quilting project. Well, do not fret! Here I’ve gathered my favorite go-to border ideas and tips to artfully complete your stunning quilt.

Plan Your Quilt Border Ahead of Time

Before diving headfirst into sewing your quilt top, take time todecide on border ideas that coordinate with the overall design. Sketch out some options first! Here are some key considerations when planning borders:

• What colors complement the quilt body? A color already used in the blocks makes a cohesive border.
• What style fits with your piecing or applique? Modern, traditional, kitschy?
• What width to make inner vs. outer borders? Scale is important.
• Will you add multiple borders? How wide should each one be?

Having an idea for the borders before constructing the quilt helps tremendously! That said, creative minds can change – if inspiration strikes mid-project, don’t be afraid to switch gears.

Quilt Border Width Suggestions

Scale and proportion matter when picking border sizes. A border too thick or thin throws off the balance visually. Some standard width recommendations:

• Narrow inner border: 1.5″ to 3.5″
• Wider inner border: 4″ to 6.5″
• Outer border(s): 6″ to 8.5″

These are just guidelines – feel free to get creative! For example, I once made a quilt with one narrow border measuring just 0.5 inches. It added a subtle framing effect that tied everything together beautifully. Trust your own aesthetic eye when making width choices.

Single Borders vs. Double or Triple Borders

One benefit of multiple borders is getting to play with scale – the inner border contains the quilt blocks, the middle softens the transition, and the outer makes a bold statement to frame the piece. However, a single border can be perfect to keep things simple.

Sort of like how a simple black frame finishes an art piece nicely without competing. When in doubt, start with calculating the width for only an inner and outer border. You can always add a third later on if desired! Triple borders can look amazing too – I’ve done up to 5 skinny borders on some quilts!

Straight Borders vs. Pieced or Decorative Borders

Borders don’t have to be plain strips of fabric – why not make them as intricate and gorgeous as the interior design? Straight borders tend to recede, while decorative borders make a statement and enhance visual appeal. Some easy embellishment ideas:

• Pieced borders: Use patchwork design like a mini quilt.
• Appliqued borders: Add fun applique shapes.
• Mitered corners: Angle the fabric for dramatic effect.
• Borders that “frame” images: Create a picture frame effect around specific blocks.

If sticking with a plain border for simplicity, add interest by fussy cutting motifs from the fabric print, or border prints specifically designed to complement quilt blocks.

Tips for Calculating Border Length

For perfect straight borders, measure accurately and calculate length needed. Nothing screams “amateur attempt” like rippled borders that don’t lie flat! Some tips:

1. Measure across middle of quilt for top/bottom borders.
2. Measure from top to bottom through quilt center for side borders.
3. To calculate length – take measurement, add 1″, then multiply by 2 for both sides.
4. Cut border strips slightly longer than needed for insurance.

Measure twice for accuracy here – nothing is worse than cutting too short! For eyeballing, estimate about 10% extra strip length generally does the trick.

If still unsure, sew your side borders first, then measure horizontally across the quilt including the just-attached side borders. This will give you the exact length for top/bottom pieces. Redo a cut edge if needed for super straight borders.

Tips for Attaching Borders Accurately

Be patient when attaching borders – rushing leads to ripples! Work from the middle out, pinning thoroughly to evenly distribute fullness. Here are some step-by-step tips:

1. Find & mark middle of quilt top/bottom edges.
2. Find & mark middle of border strips.
3. Match mid-points, pin, then work outward to ends.
4. Ease in fullness by gently pulling layers taut lengthwise.
5. Check border alignment frequently while slowly sewing rows.

If sewing multiple borders, I like to work from the center outward too – sew side borders first, press toward borders, then measure across the middle again before cutting top/bottom border lengths. This really helps ensure nicely squared corners.

And if any puckers pop up anyway, gently tug the layers straight using pins across the wavy spot until things properly line up, then add a few extra reinforcement stitches right near the pin. The key is patience – handle like fine art! “Measure twice, sew once!”

Creative Quilt Border Inspiration

Looking for sparks of border inspiration? Flip through quilting books, search online images, or check out IG hashtags like #quiltborders. Here are a few quick quilt border ideas that could match various styles:

• Tiny dots or florals for a whimsical shabby chic quilt border.
• Broken dishes print for a scrappier, mosaic-style border.
• Wavy lines or zig zags for fun modern quilt border.
• Spaced out large flowers for artsy border to frame botanical-themed blocks.

Basically, don’t limit yourself to plain strips only! The border techniques are endless, so incorporate whatever unique creative ideas fit your quilt. Trust in your vision, improvise with scraps if needed, and don’t overthink things too much.

Final Words of Encouragement

I hope these quilt border tips, tricks, and ideas inspire you to finish your stunning quilt projects with artful confidence. Remember there’s truly no single “right or wrong” way when it comes to creative quilting (despite what rigid rule-followers may insist). Embrace imagination as your guide when planning the perfect border for YOUR unique quilt!

From my years of experience both making and teaching quilting, I’ve found embracing playfulness and imperfection takes projects to the next level. So relax and have fun choosing exciting borders to frame your quilt masterpieces! Feel free to ask me any other pressing questions in the comments below – I may just write another helpful blog post if needed. Happy quilting!

FAQ

What are some good ideas for quilt borders?

1. A fun idea is to use a repeated print or floral fabric. The repetition brings rhythm to the border.
2. You can also piece together border strips from your quilt scraps to make a scrappy or patchwork look. It ties it together nicely.
3. If you want something more subtle, try a simple solid color border that picks up one of the colors from the body of the quilt.
4. Borders with angles or gentle curves make things a bit more interesting. However, they’re harder to sew than straight borders.
5. Don’t forget about prairie points! Layering little folded triangles along the edges gives a cute folky vibe.
6. Mix things up by using several borders, like a colorful inner border and neutral outer border. Or vice-versa!

What width should my quilt borders be?

7. The most common quilt border widths range from 2″ to 6″. Anything wider might overwhelm a smaller quilt.
8. Pay attention to scale. A narrow 1/2″ border can look skimpy on a large quilt. While an 8″ border might overpower a baby quilt.