Hessian backed displays or similar

[pinkberet]

Just wondering if anyone has any direct recommendations for materials to back wall displays with. I hate redoing backing paper and am considering in investing in a good quality fabric that will last for a few years rather than paper that will last a long term at best. Any tips?

Go to the local decorators shop and buy dust sheets. Double them up or folded them over several times and then iron them when they're on the wall or about to do on the wall.

@JanetandJohn500 that's a cracking idea!

I just want something durable that I can add colour to, rather than something that will tear and require frequent changes. Time is precious

We did hessian backing this year and it worked really well! Easy to put things up and take things down without damaging it - definitely good enough to keep up for next year too!

We did hessian backing and a plain black paper border!

Some hessian is very bad for shedding I'm told- one school I know of had to change back to normal backing paper due to it causing problems for asthmatics

@MumAlex1 do you know which type you bought?

@BadlydoneHelen which type should I avoid?

I back the boards in whatever I want and then cover them with plastic. The backing lasts for as long as you want (years if needed) and you can stick up and remove things with ease. You can also just write directly onto them with drywipe markers.

@pinkberet I'm afraid I don't know as it was a friends school

Hi,

This sounds good and have seen it before, but can you explain what you mean by the plastic and how you do it?

We’re not allowed it because of fire risk so double check that before you invest.

You can get large rolls of plastic in the same way you get rolls of backing paper. You just measure what you need, cut it and then staple-gun it up over the top of whatever you're backing with. Everyone in my school does the same thing.

I used to use sticky-back plastic which, admittedly, does give you a better end product but that takes ages to do properly whereas the plastic rolls are pretty quick.

I got a roll of brown packaging paper about three years ago. I've backed all of my boards with that in my last two classrooms and there's still some left. It's quite durable.

Any fabric used must be fire retardant as far as I can recall.

Hessian is sooo hard to staple through and double sided tape doesn't stick to it. The black corrugated borders everyone wants with it have been out of stock in the school suppliers since this time last year.

If you're not allowed hessian or can't find it, you could use tan backing paper. Mine has been up all year with things pinned to boards rather than stapled or blu tacked. It won't last years but has done the year.

To a PP you can use this to cover boards. I use it over their square tablecloth fabric for my maths board.

www.dunelm.com/product/clear-pvc-1000001758

Last year I bought a dust sheet from tool station and managed to back 3 full boards and 1 half board with it!

We have hessian with black borders too. It will stay up another year.

The black border does get a bit tatty - we replaced it for Ofsted last week 🤣🤣🤣🤣