When you think of burlap, you probably think of the good ole' feedbag tan colored burlap. Well, think again because affordable burlap comes in a spectrum of saturated colors too!
The photo above displays the variety of colors available from James Thompson. However it looks like they only sell the burlap in large quantity rolls (e.g. 20 yard pieces and 36 yard rolls).
We found an even broader variety of colors at Fabric Land (48 colors of burlap!) for $6/yard (colors pictured below). The catch at Fabric Land is that you need to place a minimum order of $50 (but there is free shipping). So pool together an order with friends or family and order some colorful burlap to make some cheap, textured curtains or pillows!
Let us know if you've found a burlap source with a rich variety of colors at good prices, without minimum order requirements.
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Great resources!
Ya know, a $50 minimum for FabricLand isn't that much - only 9 yards...
...that would be just 3 floor-ceiling drapery panels.
So... what are we supposed to do with the burlap?
Thanks!
Does anyone know if it's possible to dye that plain brown burlap? I don't know if it's treated with anything that would make it dye resistant.
"So... what are we supposed to do with the burlap?"
Draperies
Pillows
Tablecloths
Christmas Stockings
Ballard is selling burlap draperies, tablecloths, etc - and they're alot more than what you'd spend on the fabric and some time.
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/mercadoSearch.do?action=search&view_all_products=28&refine=1&history=r29qam0d|freeText~burlap^action~search^prodPage~12^page~SEARCH%2BNAV
Burlap smells too strongly of hemp for me. Maybe the smell goes away after awhile but I have never liked it well enough anyway to find out.
If it didn't smell and if the grain was straight (it's usually really, really skewed), I'd consider using it as wallpaper. I love grasscloth and paperweaves but burlap is way cheaper.
Just can't get past the odor. Yech.
My very first apartment had a long living room wall covered in green burlap - the stuff was a magnet for dust and lint, and was a pita to try to keep clean.
The weave gets skewed during processing after weaving, or when the fabric is wound onto a bolt. Loose weaves can get off grain more easily than tighter weaves but even a very tight weave can get off grain. Most fabrics are off a little bit. It's just more obvious with burlap because it's such a coarse fabric. I know that grain can be straightened, but I'd just as soon skip it in this case.
ashk, you might be able to overdye burlap if you wash it first with Synthrapol (from Dharma Trading, a concentrated detergent used to prep fabric for dyeing). I'd start with the white burlap just to have more control over the finished color.
There are a number of places that sell this same colored burlap, although not every place that carries it carries every color, and prices vary wildly. Search by the specific color name you want to find them.
I bought two bolts of the dark chocolate brown from Joann's online and it only cost me $60 total -- enough for the eight 10ft tall curtain panels I made, plus enough for an extra two. The weave is pretty straight and even and there were very few flaws (missed weaves, pulls) in the bolts. It doesn't smell bad, there's a faint jute smell if you hold it right up to your nose but not unpleasant. The only downside is a little bit of shedding, so I get some fibers accumulating on my windowsills from opening and closing the curtains.
But they look fabulous... and even if they didn't, hell, $60 total!
Some people are allergic to burlap. Even if nobody in your family is, beware for your guests...
I saw some very hot draperies once made of burlap lined with brilliant colored raw silk and tied back to show the silk lining. The burlap is affordable but the silk is high. Guess they average out. The burlap scent disappears rapidly once it is unwound from the bolt.