How to Make a Fabric Swatch Board

If you are planning out a new wardrobe or you need to decide which fabrics will look best together in your interior designs, make a swatch board. Since these swatches may be fabrics that you will want to purchase later, you should try to find a book of available fabric samples. You can also use this technique to decide which colors and textures you want to include and match these the best you can when you are shopping for fabrics.

Corrugated cardboard
Measuring tape
Utility knife
White acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Fabrics
Pinking shears
Thumbtacks

Instructions

- 1
  Measure and cut a piece of corrugated cardboard that is at least 1 foot wide and no more than 18 inches wide, with a tape measure and a sharp utility knife.
- 2
  Paint one side of the cardboard with a thick coat of white acrylic paint. This allows you to view the different colors against a plain white background instead of a brown background. The background color will influence how you view the colors of fabric. Wait at least three hours for the paint to dry.
- 3
  Cut out the swatches of fabric you want to reference on the board with a pair of pinking shears to slow down the fraying at the edges of the fabric. Make the swatches no smaller than 1 inch wide. Include pieces of fringe or ribbon that you will be using.
- 4
  Arrange the swatches on your board and group together the fabrics that would be closest to each other in the design to see exactly how they will look together. If you have several swatches that are different options in the design, try these swatches together.
- 5
  Tack the swatches to the board with thumbtacks once you are satisfied with the combination of colors, patterns and textures of the fabrics.

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