Braided Rugs: a Rugged Addition for Your Home

The history of the braided rug is intertwined with the history of the United States. The braided rug first came into existence during the early days of American colonialism and life on the frontier. During this time, survival depended on some essential skills as the first settlers were mostly poor and not well equipped to deal with life in the new colonies. This existence forced the settlers to come up with ingenious ways to make do with anything. During this time many objects, especially household objects were created from recycled material. Unlike nowadays a person could not just go to a store and buy what they needed. They had to make do with objects that was available around them. Wasting or throwing away was not an option.

At this time people figured out how to use old cloth such as worn out clothes and braided it to create braided rugs. These rugs were a great way to cover up a cold area of the floor. A rug like this could make their life, which was a more Spartan existence, into something little more comfortable. It took some ingenuity to cut up old pieces of cloth and turn it into something that looked nice and practical at the same time. The way how it was done is the pieces of cloth were cut length wise and either tied or sown from tip to tip to make a long piece of cloth. This piece of cloth is then braided with other cloths cut in the same way and with time and a little patience a durable strand gets created. This strand is then coiled and stitched together and it was done until a desired size was reached.

This finished braided rug will turn out to be a very durable product that could last for many years. Up until the end of the 18th century, making such a rug was still very labor intensive. Later on as years went by and the industrial revolution kicked in, simpler and cheaper ways to make these types of rugs became a reality. Now rugs made out of cotton, wool and eventually polyester with complicated color patterns became a common thing. Needless to say the demand for these rugs went through the roof and keeping up with demand became a challenge. This was when the braided rug went from being a humble house hold item and then into a fashionable accessory. Nowadays you can find such rugs made out of so many different types of materials such as nylon, acrylic, wool, and polypropylene. With this steep increase in production came a reduction in price, enhancing the popularity if this type of rug.

There are basically 2 different types of braided rugs available on the market today. The round or tubular braid and the flat braid rugs. The round braid rugs generally consist of a material in its core that is then wrapped with an outer shell that is braided. This finished braid will look like a rope. The material that is used in the core can be natural products such as wool or cotton to synthetic materials such as foam rubber or even paper. Generally round or tubular rugs are easier to manufacture hence making it cheaper to sell. The only down side of this type of rug is that it is not as durable. That is why it is important to check what the core material is made out of.

Flat braids are the way rugs have been made traditionally. Flat braids are considered better looking and also better for durability. It is made by taking flat strands and weaving them together to make a braid.

Now that the basics have been covered regarding braided rugs, the next question would be why I should get one for my home? These types of rugs have a way of giving ones home personnel feel and look about the room. They are a unique house hold accessory and a symbol of creativity and innovation. Even though the raw materials of this type of rug are machine made, the rug itself will usually be handmade. What this means for the buyer is that they will be getting something that will be unique, especially the color pattern.

For people who like style and traditional looks for their home then this type of rug is a perfect answer. They come in different sizes and styles such as oval braided rugs, capel braided rugs, chenille braided rugs and country braided rugs. You can choose any of these types and it will help make the home décor look interesting. Another reason why people buy this type of rug is that in many instances it can be made to a custom order. It is not difficult to find a maker of such rugs on the internet that will make one with the patterns, colors and size just for your taste. In fact braided rugs of any kind are some of the few rug styles that can be done like this.

As far as cleaning goes these rugs are easy to maintain and keep them looking new. The most common materials used to make them are cotton and wool. Cotton and wool are very adaptable and maintaining them is very easy especially wool. A good quality of wool is that it will hide dust and dirt quite well. Wool braided rugs have a legendary durability and have been known to last for years if taken care of well. People who have colonial themed homes have seen that, wool braided rugs give the house that extra touch to the atmosphere. One great advantage that all types of braided rugs have over other type of rugs is that, both sides of the rug can be used. This is why it is called a reversible rug. This is one of the reasons why it lasts for a long time. Wool braided rugs or any type of braided rug can be found in any home décor store, carpet store and in some in stores that sell arts and crafts.