design
Mexican Decor
Mexican Decor
Day #41 - Decorating & Mexican Food - Nov 2 2009
101 uses for a Mexican blanket
The extremely colorful and bright blankets you have undoubtedly seen in Mexican restaurants or in the shopping districts of Mexican tourist towns are called Serape blankets (sometimes spelled Sarape), but are most comonly known as Mexican blankets.
They are as old as time itself, but as with everything in this world, what is old is new again. These blankets have seen a resurgence in the past few years and are now turning up everywhere. Once only used by poor Mexican indigenous people to keep warm in the cooler desert nights or to shield themselves from the sun in the heat of the day, the blanket is now known the world over as a symbol of Mexico and its colorful culture.
Many of the locals, who still produce these blankets on large wooden looms, are shocked to witness the skyrocketing popularity of something they see as having very limited use-basically as a simple, standard blanket. The demand for these blankets has forced the families to devote more and more time to this craft. While they may not completely understand the sudden popularity of these serape blankets, they do understand a good thing when they see it and are determined to ride this wave as long as they can.
These serapes are most definitely ideal for use as a simple blanket. However, their use goes much beyond that. The fact that they come in assorted colors as varied as the rainbow and also come in assorted sizes from a napkin size to large enough to cover a queen size bed, makes their uses even more varied.
While I won't waste your time listing all 101 things you can do with these blankets, I will give you a few ideas and let your creativity take it from there.
Nike shoes liked these blankets enough to devote a whole shoe design to this style. They were made in limited release, but if you are persistent enough, you should still be able to find a pair out there. In addition to shoes, they are also made into wallets, purses, skirts, hand bags, earrings, belts, and ponchos to name only a few of their clothing and accessory uses.
With the explosion in the popularity of Cinco de Mayo, these blankets also make great decorations for any Mexican or Latin themed fiesta or party. They look stunning as a tablecloth, to serve as the basis for all the delicious Mexican food you plan to serve. They can also be used as napkins or placemats for your guests, as a runner on the table or bar, or just hung on the wall to add the Latin flare to your party.
Other home decor ideas is to have a room or even a bathroom that is Latin themed. These blankets can be made in to curtains, couch covers, shower curtains, toilet seat covers, rugs, chair covers, cofffee table runners, or pillow covers.
As you can see from the ideas provided, the potential with these blankets is unbounded, just add your imagination and you will surely come up with even more great ideas.
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