DIY Acoustic Panel Wall Art: Reduce Room Reverb with Style

Introduction

This project details how to create custom acoustic panel wall art designed to reduce room reverb (echo) and add a unique decorative feature to any interior. The art is constructed from plywood circles covered in foam-backed headliner fabric, offering both aesthetic appeal and sound dampening properties.

The design is efficient, using material from a single 4' x 2' plywood sheet. It's lightweight and easy to hang. The project requires basic tools, primarily a jigsaw.

Materials & Tools

Materials:

• One 4' x 2' Thin plywood sheet, 3/16" thick (5-ply recommended for rigidity)
• Headliner fabric (foam-backed)
• 6 mm Staples
• 3 x 20 mm Wood screws
• Wood glue
• Wall mounting screws and rawl plugs

Tools:

• Jigsaw
• Drill
• Stapler
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Hand saw

Step 1: The Design

The design involves cutting concentric circles of varying sizes that fit inside one another. This method maximizes material usage from the plywood sheet and creates a lighter final piece. The arrangement of overlapping circles provides a visually dynamic composition.

Acoustic panels are often open at the rear and slightly set from the wall to enhance sound absorption. The overlapping design naturally creates this space. The layout of the circles can be randomized, with slight overlaps for a more complex look. Alternative shapes like squares, hexagons, or triangles can also be used.

A YouTube video demonstrating a similar concept is available: https://youtu.be/oBl5nqq53YU.

Visual Description: The final assembled artwork consists of multiple overlapping circles of different sizes and shades of grey and beige, mounted on a white wall.

Visual Description: A 4' x 2' plywood board with concentric circles of various diameters drawn on it, ready for cutting. A paper strip with marked measurements is shown, used as a makeshift compass.

Visual Description: A technical drawing shows the layout of circles on a rectangular board, with grid lines and measurement marks, indicating how the circles are arranged and sized.

Step 2: Draw the Circles on the Board

To begin, draw a center line on the plywood board and divide it into four equal sections. Mark the desired circle thicknesses along this line from both ends. A simple compass can be fashioned from a sheet of paper, folded to the required length and width, and secured to the center point. Transfer the marks from the board to the paper strip and cut small notches to guide the pencil.

Draw the main concentric circles. For smaller additional circles, draw a line across the board and use the compass, ensuring the circles fit within the board's edges. Minor imperfections in the circles are acceptable as they will be covered by fabric and overlap.

Visual Description: A close-up of a plywood board showing several concentric circles drawn with pencil. A paper strip, acting as a compass, is attached at the center, marked with measurements.

Step 3: Cut Out the Circles

Before cutting the circles, drill a pilot hole large enough for the jigsaw blade at the edge of each circle's line. This provides a starting point for the cut. Cut the circles, starting with the largest and working inwards. The smaller circles on the sides can be cut directly from the board's edge.

If a hole saw is available, it can be used to create neat holes in the center of the smallest circles. After cutting, sand all edges smooth using 240-grit sandpaper.

Visual Description: A drill press with a hole saw attachment is shown cutting a clean hole in the center of a wooden ring.

Visual Description: A plywood board with multiple concentric circles and smaller circles already cut out, revealing the raw wood edges. Sawdust is visible on the surface.

Visual Description: A close-up of several pilot holes drilled into the plywood board along the drawn circle lines, ready for cutting with a jigsaw.

Step 4: Spacers and What to Do With Them

Create spacers by cutting 1-inch (25mm) squares from plywood offcuts, doubling their thickness by gluing two pieces together. Cut these squares into small blocks.

Arrange the cut plywood circles according to your desired composition and label them (e.g., A to M). Mark two points on each circle where it overlaps with another. Drill small pilot holes at these marked points on the *top* overlapping circle. Flip the circles over, apply wood glue to the spacers, and attach them to the back of the circles, aligning them with the pilot holes. Place a heavy board and weights on top to ensure good adhesion while the glue dries.

Once dry, drill through the spacer blocks and into the circle beneath, securing the pieces together with wood screws from the rear. This assembly process helps determine the final arrangement and how pieces project from the wall. Adjustments may be needed for overlapping pieces to ensure a clean look.

Visual Description: A pile of small, layered wooden squares (spacers) cut from plywood offcuts.

Visual Description: Wooden circles are laid out in their final composition. Blue 'X' marks indicate where pilot holes for screws will be drilled on the overlapping sections.

Visual Description: A hand is shown applying wood glue to the small wooden spacers before attaching them to the back of the plywood circles.

Step 5: Cut the Fabric and Staple the Fabric

Lay the plywood circles onto the headliner fabric. Trace around each circle, leaving a margin of about 1 to 1.25 inches (3 cm). Cut out the fabric pieces.

To attach the fabric, place a plywood circle face down on a work surface. Center the circle on the fabric. Fold the fabric margin in half to create a double thickness, then fold it over the edge of the plywood circle. Secure it with staples. Start with a staple at one point, then add another opposite it, and then two more to form a cross. Continue stapling around the edge, ensuring the fabric is taut and smooth. Small creases can be managed with additional staples. The foam-backed fabric is forgiving for beginners.

Visual Description: Several plywood circles are arranged on a large piece of light-colored headliner fabric, with the fabric margins ready to be folded and stapled.

Visual Description: A close-up shows the process of stapling the fabric to the back of a plywood circle. The fabric is folded over the edge, and staples are being applied.

Visual Description: A collage of three images demonstrating the fabric stapling process: 1. Stapling the fabric. 2. Folding the fabric edge. 3. A completed stapled edge.

Visual Description: A collage of five images showing the step-by-step process of covering a plywood circle with fabric and stapling it securely to the back.

Visual Description: The back of a fabric-covered plywood circle, showing the neat arrangement of staples securing the fabric edge.

Step 6: Assemble the Circles

Reassemble the circles according to your diagram, screwing them together from the rear. When passing screws through the fabric, it may snag. To prevent this, pre-drill small holes through the fabric with a drill bit before inserting the screws. This ensures a smoother assembly process.

Visual Description: Two fabric-covered plywood circles are being screwed together from the back. A drill is shown driving a screw through the fabric and into the wooden spacer.

Visual Description: A close-up shows a small hole made in the fabric with a drill bit, as described to prevent snagging during assembly.

Visual Description: A drill bit is shown piercing through the fabric on the back of a plywood circle, with screws already in place, ready for the next assembly step.

Visual Description: Several fabric-covered plywood circles are shown assembled together, with the wooden spacers visible on the back, forming the complete wall art structure.

Step 7: Hang and Enjoy!

To hang the finished acoustic panel art, use screws placed on the wall. Ensure the screw heads are positioned to catch the back of the wooden circles securely, but not so far out that they are visible through the fabric. This allows the art to stand slightly off the wall, enhancing its dimensional appearance.

Visual Description: The completed acoustic panel wall art, a composition of overlapping circles in various shades of grey and beige, is mounted on a white wall.

Visual Description: The acoustic panel wall art is shown mounted on a wall, with electrical outlets visible below it.

Effectiveness and Applications

These acoustic panels effectively soften room sound and reduce reverb. They are particularly useful in spaces with hard surfaces like tiled floors, which contribute to echo. The project is also suitable for home theaters or TV rooms where sound quality is important.

User feedback highlights the project's simplicity, excellent use of materials, and great results. It's recommended for any space experiencing echo, such as dining rooms, suggesting placement on adjacent walls rather than directly opposite walls for optimal reverb reduction.