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Use Southwest Bedding For Beautiful Native American Home Decor

Using southwest bedding is an easy way to create beautiful, rustic style in your home. A while ago, I was searching for an inexpensive way to decorate one of the guest rooms in my home and give it a touch of the southwest. I discovered some Indian blankets at a discount linen store and decided to use them as part of the western decor. I liked the country western style they created in the room so much that I decided to use them in all the rooms of my home to give them that impressive, southwest flare you see in designer magazines.

Because I used these blankets and throws everyday as bedspreads, shawls, or as lap blankets, I started reading about the story behind southwestern blankets and began researching their origin. The more I studied, the more interesting the story was. I never realized that although very popular today with home decorators and in modern style homes, southwest bedding for use in southwestern home decor actually grew in the early 1900's, when trade blankets were put on the market.

Most people I come in contact with, believe that the rustic blankets they commonly use for southwest bedding were originally made by Native American Indians. I also believed that, until I began digging deeper into the beginnings of these southwestern style blankets and discovered that, although Native Americans were the main inspiration for the designs and production of trade blankets, they were not made by them.

In fact, as you research the interesting history of southwestern blankets, you will learn that they were actually made by machines, and produced by large weaving companies for the sole purpose of supplying the Indians with needed blankets. These western blankets were then sold to the frontier trading posts where the Native people would buy and trade them and use them to wrap themselves in instead of a modern coat or jacket.

Something you will also find interesting as you research the history of trade blankets to use as western bedding, is that as women became more interested in home decorating in the early 1900's, southwest decorating and western designs grew in popularity. These "Indian blankets" as they came to be called, were sought after by people across the nation who used them for southwest bedding and as decorative couch or chair covers to enhance Native American home decor. The Indian trade blankets were used for covering exposed legs when in a wagon, sleigh or buggy, and in the new horseless carriages. Later on, they were used as throws for camping, sporting events and a new hobby called motoring.

Now days, you can easily buy southwest bedding online and in places that sell western and Native American home decor. Whether used as a rustic bedspread, blanket or bed throw, southwest bedding will add great charm to your home and decor. If you are impressed with authenticity and traditional Native American values and are searching for an easy way to enhance western style in your rustic home decor, then you will no doubt enjoy owning and decorating with southwest bedding.


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