My African mud cloth obsession is real and becoming bigger by the day. This traditional handmade cloth with its intriguing patterns tell rich stories and is popping up in decor stores and fashion trends all over.
What is Mud Cloth?
Mud cloth (also called Bògòlanfini or bogolan) is a centuries-old, hand-dyed textile art and handmade Malian cotton fabric, traditionally dyed with fermented mud. Authentic mud cloth takes two to three weeks to make by applying one to two coats of color-rich mud to undyed cloth. The patterns in the authentic creations often have names and meanings that are rich in history. The bigger pieces of fabric are made of smaller cotton strips traditionally woven by men and stitched together to form a larger cloth.
I think it is my love for geometric shapes that repeat or maybe it is just that I was born in Africa or even that most of the cloths come in monochromatic colors that really makes me appreciate the beauty of mudcloth.
Ways To Decorate With Mud Cloth
- Think Scatter cushions – This is in my opinion the easiest way to bring any trend into your home and requires little to no effort. I recently discovered a South African online shop called Spases that sell the most amazing mud cloth scatters in an array of sizes.
- Wall hangings – if you are lucky enough to pick up a piece of mudcloth fabric you can use it as a wall hanging. Esque is one of the best places to start your search for pieces of this gorgeous fabrics. Follow this DIY wall hanging tutorial that I did to see how to turn this dream into reality.
- DIY mud cloth wallpaper – Cheaper than even purchasing a wallpaper is making your own statement mud-cloth wall! I found an amazing DIY on Mr.Kate that had me wondering if this would be a great choice for our tv room?
- Upholstering of furniture – I recently re-upholstered our patio couch with a mud-cloth inspired outdoor fabric that I purchased from T & Co Fabrics. The fabric is easily wiped with a damp cloth and looks amazing!
- I also found this totally free mud cloth print phone wallpaper that you can download here.
I am thinking that it is time for me to maybe share my own DIY mud cloth tutorial with you soon!
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