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By Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher
Braided Rugs:

Classic Americana Floor Coverings

n the earliest of times, floors were covered with sand and people homes. So associated are they with this period that braided rugs are
placed rushes and straw over the sand. These could be removed and featured prominently in Wallace Nutting’s popular series of prints of
Ireplenished as needed to keep the dirt or wood floor below as clean faux-Colonial interiors made during the Colonial Revival era of the
as possible. While Europe and the Middle East developed the woven early 20th century, forever cementing their legacy as uniquely American
floor covering, one can go back to prehistoric times to see the hand- (see page 16 for more about Wallace Nutting).
work of plaiting or braiding natural materials and fibers to create
coverings not only intended for the floor but as a wall hanging, as well. From Handwork to Millwork
Recent excavations near the Caspian Sea turned up Thanks to advancements in textile manufacturing, domestically-
some examples dating back as far as 6,000 B.C. produced, factory-made braided rugs were designed in a range of color
These examples evolved long before the schemes and made of durable wool. These flooded the market to meet
development of weaving rugs. Fibers from the demand of a rising middle class looking to decorate their home in
shorn sheep and other natural materials this patriotic way. Now, having a braided rug as a decorative accent in
were interlaced to produce a simple your parlor or entry did not depend on wealth or one’s skill with hand-
form of plaited basket-work matting, crafts. They could be affordably purchased from the new textile and
replacing still earlier crude mats made carpet mills populating rural waterway towns throughout, especially,
of strands of dry stalks and tendrils. New England in the early 1900s.

These mills, hiring local workers and contributing to the economic
The Evolution of the prosperity of their small towns, soon faced competition from Japanese
Braided Rug manufacturers. By the 1960s, Japan became a major producer of braided
Centuries before “wall-to-wall” rugs and seized 90 percent of the American market share, according to
carpeting covered the floors of 20th the U.S. Department of Commerce. Many of these small manufacturers
century homes throughout America was and mills across the
a more homespun approach to floor country were forced to
coverings by Colonials applying their hand- eventually close their
crafting skills to knit, shirr, applique, and doors.
embroider wool and other raw Today, braided rugs
Antique American braided rug c. 1910 materials into coverings for the are enjoying a renais-
selling for $1,360 on 1stdibs.com floor, the bed, and the wall. These sance of sorts among a
tended to be useful and decora- new generation of
tive, with many examples used in the parlor for special occasions only. admirers, and American
The braided rug was not the invention of the early Colonists, but craft mills with textile
adapted from the Native Americans’ techniques used in creating heavy artisans using traditional
saddle blankets for their horses, as well as ponchos and ceremonial rugs hand-braiding tech-
often used in “pow-wows.” This method was quickly copied by early niques and using sus- Stitching a large braided rug at Thorndike Mills
European settlers from the 1500s and 1600s looking to cover their bare tainable materials and
floors and add warmth to their newly built shelters in the New World. dyes in the small-batch products they create. They also remain popular
In the earliest of times, people would use straw and rushes to make decorative accessories and can be purchased new in a wide range of
braided mats for the entryways. But being ever resourceful, in the early sizes, shapes, and colors on sites such as wayfair.com and
1800s women braided leftover fabric scraps with other used materials overstock.com, and popular retail home décor and home goods stores
such as rope and burlap, and then sewed or laced the braided materials such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Home Goods.
together into an ever-widening circle to create a rug. Since the cloth
strips used for this project came from many different sources, the rug Braid Making
was naturally multi-colored. Braided rugs are comparable to quilts in the way
A more thoughtful and decorative approach to they are designed and constructed. The settlers who
floor coverings emerged as the skill developed, and sewed them used the bits and pieces from other
rug braiding became a homespun craft, like quilting, sewing projects to braid interesting patterns. There
that was passed down like the rugs they created, from were several ways to create hand-braided rugs.
mothers to daughters. Soon, braided rugs became a Plaiting the strips of material together was the most
staple accessory in homes, churches, city halls, popular technique. Once a number of strips were
markets, and other places throughout the colonies. plaited, they were then stitched together to create
By the second half of the 18th century, braided, braided rugs.
hooked, and rag rugs made from scraps of cloth Before the first half of the 19th century, braided
changed over from objects of necessity to decorative rugs for the American home were either handmade or
accessories. Braided floor mats, in particular, Hand-braiding and hand-stitching a rug imported, but a technological advancement in textile
became the fashion of the day in Colonial American is still taught and done today. weaving, mass-manufacturing, and domestically -

24 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles