The red & white striped canvas thread

[Elliot]

Pardon the “thread” pun.

So…. With the Carnival theme, I reckon BRC will be awash in red-&-white-striped tents.

And I certainly don’t want to be left out. But where to buy the stuff?

A quick look on the inverweb shows me prices from $6.25 to $10 per yard, in 60” width.

I’m looking at something like 100 yards.

So $6.25 a yard is out of the question. I need it for $2 or so a yard.

Suggestions?

[Ratty]

Old white sheets. Red paint. After this year toss em in the trash.

[The Rod]

I have not had good luck repurposing thrift store sheets into shade/tent cloth. In my experience they're not strong enough to stand up to things like playa winds. One year we sewed a cover for a Costco carport, halfway through the week the seams started to give, After tying a few knots and liberal application of zip ties it 'held up' for the rest of the week and got thrown away when we got home. YMMV.

[mudpuppy000]

I've seen green/white and blue/white shade cloth, but not red.

Hmmm, you could maybe alternate long tarps to get sort of the same effect.

[Ratty]

I know I should bring the tent made from medical walkers. I even finished the peaked top but I'm trying to be smart. This one is covered with sheets.

[trilobyte]

I'm moving this over to the shelter & camping board, since that's a better fit (the year-specific boards are for announcing installations, vehicles, and camps etc for that year). Believe it or not, striped fabrics and tarps are used in lots of years. Actually, I think stripes (as well as patterns) would be a better fit with last year, what with bedouin/tribal tents often having a lot of different patterns used in their interior decor.

Generally speaking, the striped stuff will be really difficult to find cheap. If you're using it for the exteriors of a larger structure, you might not have to use striped - just get some of each color and alternate how you use it. Look at the illustration you posted, as well as the photographs of actual tents you find online. Those "stripes" are huge - 5 or more feet wide. And you can usually find rolls of all white or all red fabric in the super discount joints (fabrix in SF is our go-to spot). Mind you it won't be canvas, but it'll be within budget. Good luck!

[Elliot]

Good morning!

Perhaps I should emphasize that I will need 100 yards at the 60" width. That translates to 300 feet by 5 feet, which is 1,500 square feet.

If a Queen bed-sheet is 6' x 7', it would be 35 sheets.

What I hope to accomplish with this topic, is to locate a "universal" source of such material -- something like the Costco source of carports. Somewhere out there, in this country of 350 Million people, somebody wants to rid their warehouse of a truckload of this stuff, even at two bucks a yard.

And thanks, Trilo!
Yes, in hindsight, we could have gotten two years of use out of such material.
And sewing up sections of solid color could be the solution.

[VultureChow]

The UK seems to have these striped tarps.
http://www.protectivetextile.co.uk/prod ... tarps.html

[AntiM]

If you could find a bunch of Japanese Bon Odori curtains....

bon odori.jpg

I have a small one in my basement. Not sure where you;d find them, but you are in California, where they might be available.

[unjonharley]

We have a tent and awning store.. They make up awning for RV's and such..

Google to see what kind of pricing..

I'm going with large (cotton) paint tarp from HF.. Will have to grommet my own.. If I stretch it over a pipe frame, I could paint it.. If I use dye for paint it will be a faded colors..

[VultureChow]

Red paint on white billboard vinyl?

[Elliot]

We have the Goodwin-Cole tent and awning company in Sacramento, but I fear their prices. Though... I suppose I will stop in next time I'm down there.

Paint on plastic worries me, as it seems likely to flake off.

[VultureChow]

Me too, but there's a thread on here about that very issue and a specific type of paint was mentioned.
viewtopic.php?t=20149

Even if the paint itself is expensive, the vinyl is dirt cheap.

[unjonharley]

Red paint on white billboard vinyl?

Thinking that would be to heavy for a side wall..

[The Rod]

Noone ever listens


Painters canvas from harbor fright would work, not sure on the cost. Hell, you could cut them into strips, dye half of them red and sew them together lengthwise to get your striped effect.

[unjonharley]

Noone ever listens


Painters canvas from harbor fright would work, not sure on the cost. Hell, you could cut them into strips, dye half of them red and sew them together lengthwise to get your striped effect.

9 X 12 cost $15.00

[bigbluedoggy]

Without digging any deeper into their service offerings, I'll throw these guys out there. I've purchased tent and canopy hardware from them and you should check out their very informative videos about proper staking of large structures. I am sure they can customize canopy material to order and may even have candycane material in stock. http://www.celinatent.com/ I hope posting the url isn't a violation on eplaya... mods just delete this comment if it is. Thanks.

[AntiM]

A reference in context a reply is okay, as long as you don't have an interest in the business.

[Elliot]

Thanks Dave, I will explore all leads in search of The Deal.