Sari Silk rugs are an upcycling success story. Made from the silk that once graced the saris destined to be worn by Indian women, these rugs have become some of the most colorful, most imaginative, and most sought-after pieces on the market today. A sari is a four-to-nine-yard length of cloth, often silk, that women wrap around themselves as their garment.
Upcycling Saris
The saris upcycled into rugs are typically composed of handspun silk. Since the rugs’ popularity has skyrocketed, women’s cooperatives in India have developed a cottage industry to create the vibrant silk thread that’s then used to hand-knot the fabulous rugs.
The women unravel unused saris by hand, fortify the extracted silk with cotton, wool, or other fibers, and then weave the threads into unique patterns that end up looking like pieces of art. The breathtaking creations, made entirely of this fortified sari silk, are saturated with colors and are so soft that you may find yourself wanting to leave the sofa to snuggle on the floor.
One-of-a-Kind Masterpieces
No two Sari Silk rugs are alike because of the variety of the source saris collected by the Indian women. Once the fabric has been hand-knotted into rugs, they become the one-of-a-kind masterpieces you can find at Rug & Home.
These hand-crafted works of art contain inconsistencies in their patterns and variations in their colors — elements that heighten their beauty instead of detracting from it. You will experience an infinite variety of color in your Sari Silk rugs.
Caring for Your Treasures
These natural rugs are durable and will hold up for decades if you take care of them properly. Don’t place your Sari Silk rug in a place that receives heavy traffic, but do lay them on top of a quality rug pad, such as those sold at Rug & Home. You may also want to keep it out of direct sunlight.
Put your colorful work of art where it will be seen rather than trampled, such as by a corner sitting area, underneath a table or baby grand piano, or in your bedroom. Some owners love their rugs too much to walk on them, preferring instead to hang them on the wall.
Sari Silk rugs require gentle vacuuming with suction only, although you can have them hand-washed by a professional cleaner as needed.
It’s worth the little extra time and the effort it takes to care for a Sari Silk rug because they will last longer. In the end, you won’t think of them as upcycled or even recycled … you’ll just love and respect the beauty of your one-of-a-kind rug.
