EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DECORATING WITH BURLAP
Decorating with burlap? YES! Burlap can be your best decorating friend! It’s downright cheap, can add tons of texture, brings a bit of unexpected warmth to a home and is so very versatile! Take a look at all the ways you can decorate your home using burlap.
This post is part of the EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW SERIES. These series are like guidebooks and exhaustive resources on different decorating topics.
Today we are talking about BURLAP!
IT’S A CLASSIC
Burlap has earned its place in decor as a classic! But like all things, it can be overdone. No longer just for farmhouses and French vintage looks burlap has come a long way!
No longer a homespun look burlap can look perfectly comfortable next to silk and finer fabrics. As a matter of fact, burlap will help give a refined or formal look much needed juxtaposition!
Think of burlap as a way to add a big punch of texture to a room without being visually forward. OW
Used best in accents and small doses. So if you on the fence about using burlap in your home try adding one or two small accent pieces like burlap covered books or a burlap lampshade to your decor!
Burlap is a fabric you might not have considered for your home, but once you decorate with just one piece you will be hooked! It makes such a difference in how a room can look!
WHAT IS BURLAP
Burlap is a natural fiber made with the skin of the jute plant. It is also called hessian. Jute is one of the strongest and cheapest natural materials. Did you know that burlap is second to the most popular material made, cotton?
It is a coarse fabric that usually has a loose weave and is very textural. The downside to burlap is that it can have a distinctive smell that will fade over time and it sheds a bit.
Burlap has long been used by the world for clothing, for packaging, for gardening, and for furniture to name a few. In fact, jute was found to be part of the textiles used over 3,000 years ago!
BURLAP IN DECOR
See this beautiful chair HERE.
Today, with the rise in popularity of Farmhouse and French Country styleS burlap has gained popularity too. This very inexpensive and durable fabric has been elevated to decor status!
But burlap has transcended those styles and now is used alongside the most elegant and the most modern styles too!
HOW TO DECORATE WITH BURLAP
Burlap has gained so much popularity it can be seen in furnishing and home decor accents.
Here are just a few ways to use burlap to decorate your home…
- chairs
- chair pads
- curtains
- bed skirts
- lampshades
- pillows
- valance
- covered books
- table runners
- bows
- more
I think burlap is best used in most homes in accent decor! A little bit of burlap goes a long way!
Think about adding burlap when a bit of texture is needed in a room. Balance it by using it a few places around a room.
By far my favorite way to use this textural fabric is in covered books. Covering books with burlap gives them a uniform look that looks beautiful in a bookshelf! They are also perfect for risers or tucked into other decor!
Covering books with burlap is an easy DIY. Even if you are not crafty you can do this! Make sure to MAKE BURLAP COVERED BOOKS.
OTHER EASY HOME DECOR DIY’S
Here are a few easy burlap diy’s! Burlap comes in so many pretty styles and colors! Check out your local fabric and craft store!
Here are some fun and easy burlap home decor projects you can make…
Burlap is so versatile, it can be used to MAKE A NO SEW FLOWER PILLOW
This burlap wreath is still one of my most popular posts! After all these years! I guess a burlap wreath is a classic too!
Make this BURLAP WREATH HERE. And see how I turned this burlap wreath into a BURLAP FALL WREATH HERE.
Or how about making something as easy as a burlap bow. This one is so so pretty and just as easy!
And here a more burlap decor easy diy’s…
- Mr. And Mrs. No Sew Burlap Pillows
- Burlap Covered Accent Balls
- Woven Burlap Table Runner
- Toile And Burlap Acorns
- Burlap Leaf Pillow
- Burlap Book Page Garland
- No-Sew Fun Burlap Tags
- Burlap Christmas Joy Banner
- No-Sew Architectural Wall Art
And one more favorite…
FRINGE BURLAP TABLE RUNNER. I made this runner in under 30 minutes! Instant texture!
MAKING BURLAP SOFT
Decorating with burlap does not have to be a rough and scratchy business! There are so many types to choose from.
One way to change the feel and look of burlap is to wash it. When burlap is washed it takes on a soft and lofty look. Similar to thick linen. So pretty!
You can see how to wash burlap HERE.
What is your favorite way to use burlap in your home or garden?
What an interesting post! I don’t use burlap much anymore but I really appreciated the info about it. Like you said, as an enduringly classic fabric, it has been and will be around the decorating world for a long, long time. Thanks so much for always keeping it interesting and real. You’re amazing ?❤️
Hi Deb, you are welcome! I always keep it real… you just don’t see the messy side of my life, a least not too often!
Hi Yvonne. How are you? I agree with you regarding the use of burlap in decorating. I have used it to make curtains in my kitchen. They lasted a good while until they started shedding. I am going to get some more and use as table runners.
Good post. Love the look on the side board. Will try to replicate it as i have some of the items already.
Blessings.
Hi Junie! God bless you too!
Love your videos!Miss you on the podcast!
Thanks, I’m working on a few more! Fall videos! How fun!
I have incorporated a few burlap lampshades and a table runner into my home decor.I love the natural look and texture it adds to a room.
I love the way the light shines through a burlap lampshade!
I love this post. I bought a burlap lampshade and you are right, it really adds texture and warmth to the room. I can’t wait to make the pillow and the table runner. When are you going to write a book?
I’ve been asked that FOR YEARS. I’ve come close a couple times but I spend so much time here at StoneGable I don’t know when I would have time!
I have some drapes purchased from Target a few years ago hanging by my deck slider, and they’re made from a fabric that looks very similar to burlap. I absolutely love them! I’ve also been contemplating making or buying a burlap bow or ribbon wrap to put on the boxwood wreath I have hanging over my mantle … your post might be the nudge I needed to give it a try!
BURLAP ribbon adds such a nice “feel” to a wreath!
Yvonne I was feeling down today with having lost a brother in law and my daughter moving to Italy for work this week. I scrolled down your blog and just felt so uplifted and comforted with your interior work and particularly the acorns made with toile and burlap, my favorite materials ever. I just feel so much better, I wanted you to know you didn’t just inform me but also helped my heart. Love, Christel
You are so sweet to let me know, Christel! My daughter and family are moving away next week too! I’m fine and then just the smallest unrelated thing makes me cry and cry! Lot of emotion! I try to think about how fun it will be to visit!
YES! Burlap! It’s not going to make your home look like a barn! ( Unless that’s what you’re going for,lol) When paired with the right things it looks a-maze-ing! Thank You Ms. Pratt for this post; I couldn’t agree more!
Hi Leslie, Thanks for your affirming comment. I love burlap and it can look fabulous even in the most elegant homes!~
Your burlap ideas are wonderful! I may put some on a little white lamp shade I have on a kitchen lamp. My burlap is mint green and I have way too much of it!!! Thank you for the fun idea!
I’m a fan of burlap too, Lucy!
Where can I find the lumber pollow?
Yvonne, thanks for these great suggestions involving burlap! I have a project to tackle and wonder if you have any expert tips to share. We have a barn with a 1000 sq ft attached apartment and I’d like to cover the walls of the study in burlap. It does have 10’ ceilings and if that’s just too much, I’m open to adding moulding and doing only part of the height. Some people have said to adhere the burlap to the walls with liquid starch. Do you have any thoughts on this? I have 2 lantern sconces from PB to flank the wall mounted TV and want to feature a gallery wall of ancestors’ photos. We especially enjoy time spent there in the cold winter months, because it’s very cozy. I feel the burlap would add even more texture and warmth. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, Carolyn! This sounds GORGEOUS!! I don’t know how I would attach it to the walls but I bet there are lots and lots of youtube videos. You will want to experiment a lot before touching your walls though. My one big concern is that burlap stretches when it gets wet so you might have an issue with keeping it plum. If it’s even off a little it will show! Please send me images when you are done! I can’t wait to see your walls!
My home is white grey and navy. Can burlap be painted to tint towards grey? Thanks!!
Burlap looks amazing when it is painted! Also, you might look for navy or gray burlap online.
I could not find the tutorial for the burlap & toile acorns.
Thanks!
This is such a fun fall diy. Here you go Sherry:https://www.stonegableblog.com/burlap-and-toile-acorns-diy/
I’d love to have the burlap bedskirt that you have shown in your home. Where could I find it?
Thank you!
Hi Julia, this gorgeous bedskirt is actually raw silk! It is just so so pretty! You can find it and all my master bedroom sourced items here:https://www.stonegableblog.com/master-bedroom/
The link on how to wash burlap seems to be broken…any tips!?!
I a sorry, Ashley several of my older posts were destroyed in a tech glitch.