Braided Rugs

Many of us are familiar with the braided rugs. We use them to cover our floors and as decorative pieces for our homes. These rugs had humble beginning. Did you know that these floor rugs were handmade in the colonial times? Back then the women took all the worn material from blankets and clothing and did not waste these scraps of material. They used the materials and braided them into rugs. These rugs were then used to cover the floors of their homes.

Back then, each rug was a completely original artwork. And they were all done by hand. The women employed several techniques to braid the rugs, including cloth braiding, yarn braiding and the flat braided technique. And never were these braids combined randomly. There were all very well thought out and were made into such beautiful intricate designs and patterns.

For the cloth braiding, strips of cloth were braided traditionally. The yarn braiding was more of a twisting style. Just like a real roll of yarn, it was first layered and then twisted into place. The flat braiding is exactly what it sounds like. It is a braid that is left flat. Without the round look, the flat braid is a fantastic way to integrate whatever color schemes or patterns that the women wanted.

Unless you know how to make a braided rug, today however, most of these rugs are manufactured or machine made. Using modern equipment, most manufacturers choose that flat braid style, or add the tubular style of braiding. And today, there are still the great patterns and designs which are all thought out perfectly. With these modern technologies it was possible to come out with a braided rug that uses a certain color scheme and patterns that can add depth and color to any room in your home. Not only that, these braided rugs provide the perfect floor covering and warmth for any room you want. Warmth was one of the main reasons why the people in the colonial times came up with them.

In those days, homes did not have proper insulation. So in winter a wooden floor can be very cold and uncomfortable to step on. These braided area rugs helped to keep feet warmer, and also added that extra bit of warmth to the home. These days, many homeowners use wool braided rugs to combat the cold and to add an extra layer of warmth to their floors. Even though today we have insulation, certain floors like linoleum, tile and wood can still be dead cold during the winter months.

Today, the manufacturers of these braided rugs still stay true to the style of braiding like the early settlers. First a long braid is created from material. This can be about several feet in length. The chosen color scheme and design is incorporated into this piece. Then the material is made into the required shape of the rug. With all our modern equipment today, manufacturers have found ways to come up with braided rugs for sale in many shapes and sizes, like the oval, square and round braided rugs. Previously braided rugs were only made in the oval shape, hence the oval braided rugs because it was the easiest shape to create especially since the braiding was done by one person.

Once the shape begins, the lines are then sewn together to make the whole thing one collective piece. Previously these braided rugs were made as a necessity to combat the cold. Today we use them also as a way to combat the cold. However we also use these braided rugs as a decorative piece of furnishing, with all the vibrant colors and designs available for us today.