Penny Rugs Then & Now
Penny rugs are a type of rug style that was popular back in the 19th century. Back then, most people could not afford to buy the expensive hand-crafted rugs available to the wealthy, so they had to become creative in order to develop their own beautiful rug styles.
The penny rugs were usually made from wool. Before the rug could be made, the wool would be washed so it would shrink to an appropriate size. If you’ve ever seen a penny rug, you realize that the main features are the circular elements. It’s these elements that give the rug its name because coins were used as templates to create those elements. The circles were embroidered into wool then layered onto the rug. Most of the designs were flowers, animals, or other simple images. The rug creators were generally made out of contrasting colors so the design elements stand out.
What may surprise you about penny rugs is that despite their name, they were rarely used as actual floor coverings. Instead, penny rugs were most frequently made as table covers or as wall hangings. Because wool was valuable to them, they didn’t want to waste it on the floors where it would be easily destroyed.
Today, the art of creating penny rugs is still alive and well in many craft communities. Most are still made from wool and embrace the same simple designs that made the originals so unique and loved by rug aficionados. The modern penny rugs are usually not made for practical reasons but for the love of the design and for the enjoyment of creating rugs. However, some penny rugs can still be purchased and can be used as floor coverings in bedrooms – they make adorable choices for children’s rooms – or can be used for decorating your walls or tables.
Regardless of how you choose to use them, you’ll quickly discover that penny rugs can make a charming addition to almost any part of your home.
The penny rugs were usually made from wool. Before the rug could be made, the wool would be washed so it would shrink to an appropriate size. If you’ve ever seen a penny rug, you realize that the main features are the circular elements. It’s these elements that give the rug its name because coins were used as templates to create those elements. The circles were embroidered into wool then layered onto the rug. Most of the designs were flowers, animals, or other simple images. The rug creators were generally made out of contrasting colors so the design elements stand out.
What may surprise you about penny rugs is that despite their name, they were rarely used as actual floor coverings. Instead, penny rugs were most frequently made as table covers or as wall hangings. Because wool was valuable to them, they didn’t want to waste it on the floors where it would be easily destroyed.
Today, the art of creating penny rugs is still alive and well in many craft communities. Most are still made from wool and embrace the same simple designs that made the originals so unique and loved by rug aficionados. The modern penny rugs are usually not made for practical reasons but for the love of the design and for the enjoyment of creating rugs. However, some penny rugs can still be purchased and can be used as floor coverings in bedrooms – they make adorable choices for children’s rooms – or can be used for decorating your walls or tables.
Regardless of how you choose to use them, you’ll quickly discover that penny rugs can make a charming addition to almost any part of your home.
posted by Rugs To My Door at 2:34 PM 
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