Warm up your home with cotton area rugs

Beautify your home with a quality cotton area rug

When you think 'rug', do you automatically picture something furry, or with pile or nap? Do you think 'wool'? Wool is the traditional material for making rugs, but there's a long history of area rugs made from other materials. Cotton area rugs in particular can give your home a much lighter, brighter look. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular styles of cotton area rugs.

Cotton rag rugs

One popular style of cotton area rugs is the cotton rag rug. They grew out of the thriftiness of old-time housewives who saved clothing that was worn beyond wearing and created area rugs for their floors from them. Cotton area rugs made of rags may be braided and coiled, crocheted or even knitted. One unusual style of cotton rag rug is made from cotton jersey material, like t-shirts. The t-shirts are cut across, making fabric loops which are then woven on flat, pegged looms into squares, much like potholders. Smaller squares can be sewn together to make larger cotton rugs, or left as they are to make small cotton area rugs. One bonus of small cotton area rugs is that they are washable, as long as you take care to use cool settings and cold water.
 
Flannel Looped Cotton Area Rugs

Flannel cotton rugs are typically hooked rugs, most similar to wool hooked rugs. They are traditionally hooked with more loops per inch, making a very thick, dense rug. When the hooking is finished, the top surface of the cotton rug is shaved and brushed to create a soft, luxurious nap. Cotton accepts dye more readily than wool, making cotton area rugs a perfect choice for the bright, clear colors that are often used in children's, babies' and teens' rooms.
 
Cotton Dhurrie Area Rugs

Cotton dhurrie rugs are woven rather than looped. Traditionally, they are made in Indian patterns and rich colors, or left the natural color of the cotton for a warm, airy look. They work very well with today's modern, sparse styles of furniture, lending a touch of simple elegance.
 
Cotton area rugs have a number of advantages over wool and acrylic versions. The flat woven styles of cotton rugs are far less likely to hold dust that can trigger allergies, and can be easily cleaned and laundered. Rag rugs, especially those braided from bright patterned colors, are a particularly welcoming choice for a colonial style living or dining room, and looped flannel rugs are an excellent hypoallergenic choice to add a touch of color and warmth to an infant's room.

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