Hand Woven RugsHand woven rugs are a great way to spice up the decor of any room, create a visual center to your space, and add a lot of class for a small amount of money. In fact, using rugs is one of the most important aspects of interior decorating. A properly chosen rug can become an anchor in a room and tie the whole space together. There are several important things to bear in mind when you are looking for rugs to add to your space.
When we consider hand woven rugs, quality has truly been raised to an art form. Their refined style and tremendous comfort characterize hand woven rugs, which are available in three forms of construction: hand tufted; hand knotted; and hand hooked.
Natural fibers are used to make handmade rugs, and these are usually wool, silk, or cotton, or blends of one with another. As a result, these rugs can have minor variations in size, pattern, and color.
Hand knotting is accomplished when the weaver ties knots of pile yarn around woven backing fibers (warp and weft). The result is then sheered to a preset height to give uniformity to the pile. In general, the cost of this kind of rug depends on the number of knots per square inch. The more knots there are per square inch, the higher the rug’s value.
The hand tufted weave is created by pushing the fiber (or yarn) into the primary backing, resulting in the “tuft.” Then latex glue is applied, which holds the tufts in their placement. A secondary foundation, called a “scrim” is added, and on top of this, a third backing is added. This is generally made of cloth, and its purpose is to protect the floor. Finally, the rug’s top is sheared off at the desired height to make the pile.
With two exceptions, a hand hooked rug is made exactly the same way as a hand tufted rug. First, the hand hooked rug usually has a short, looped pile instead of a thick, cut pile. Second, the backing of hand hooked rugs is often a light-weight mesh, instead of a heavier canvas backing.
One of the most important things to consider in choosing your hand woven rug is size. Bear in mind that hand made rugs are limited to the size of the loom, as they are made individually by talented artisans. These are not cut to order off a large roll, but rather they are created one at a time with a specific design in mind. These rugs can get very large, and there is a variety of sizes available, but they do tend to be of a uniform size and shape, so you will need to plan your room accordingly.
A large rug is good for a large room, but make sure it is not too large. There is nothing tackier than trying to turn a hand woven rug into a carpet, and coming up far short. On reason is that carpet these days are a single color and follow the contours of the floor they are cut for. Area rugs, on the other hand, are made in a particular size, simple to complex design, and shape. They are more portable, and can be moved or shifted around. Where size is important, you must be sure to carefully measure the dimensions of the area you want to place your rug on. If nothing else, make sure you have enough space around the edges of the rug to walk comfortably on, unless it is directly up against a wall. For a smaller room, the use of smaller handmade area rugs would be a good idea, and remember that these area rugs do not need to be placed in the very center of the room. In fact, very often, off center hand woven rugs can create a gathering point or focus for a room, where you can put furniture, a sitting area, a dinner table, etc.
Since hand woven rugs can also come in many different shapes and colors, by having an interestingly shaped rug you can add a lot of dynamic to your living space in both look and feel. The great thing about choosing handmade rugs over commercial mass-produced area rugs is that hand woven rugs are designed specifically to make the best use possible of the shape that they are made in. The colors available in hand woven rugs vary, as many of these rugs are made by people who also dye their own fiber or have access to hand dyed fiber materials. This makes them an even more unique, cultural statement than something that was simply woven by hand with pre-made fibers.
Hand made rugs can do a lot for a space. They can tie a room together, add a splash of unexpected color, become the foundation for a design scheme, and make your living space unique. No hand woven rug is exactly like any other, and this can add a great personal touch to your room, as well as reflect a bit of your own personality. If you are looking for the finest quality and hand craftsmanship, your best bet may lay with a handmade rug. However, be prepared to pay a bit more to get your hands on one of these, as they are far more costly to produce. If you want to leap right in and do some pre-shopping for hand woven rugs, I'm sure you'll find the rug that suits your choice in design, material, color, type of weave, and size at one of the recommended sources below. I can assure you I took great care to select each one. Each ranks high in customer satisfaction, and they have quality rugs in many price ranges, a sure bet they can satisfy their customers' needs.
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Hand woven or hand made means the rugs have been produced on hand looms, sometimes in limited quantities. These rugs are usually of high quality, and being hand woven, many of the rugs are "one-of-a-kind". 
When looking into your room design, if you feel you need some ideas, a great place to start is by looking up “fong shui” or other schools of room design and choose a layout that you think works best for you.
