Vintage blankets can be found in most antique stores and flea markets, while the brand new variety are available all over the internet, on the streets of Old Mexico, and even in airport gift shops.

Serapes are FUN * BRIGHT * and CHEEEP!! 
Here are TEN ways make a STATEMENT with a Serape Blanket…

Use a Serape to MAKE A BAG.

Or better yet, buy one already made!!  The Serape Bag {ABOVE} is available HERE on Etsy.com. 

UPHOLSTER a Flea-Market FIND. 

Combine a recyclable chair or sofa with inexpensive serapes from Saddleblanket.com, and you have a BRIGHT and ORIGINAL piece of upholstered furniture {and you won’t need a bail out}.

Cover your TABLE for a party.

In the image {ABOVE} they have draped a vintage serape for a rustic, southwestern vibe that would really set the tone for a Mexican Soiree. 

I have also used the bright, less expensive serapes, layered on a table for a kiddo’s party… it was bright, festive, and they are SO easy to wash!!

Use serapes to PATCH your jeans or jean jackets.

Torn up jeans are more than a passing fad, they are now a statement about one’s style.  Why not mix it up a little bit by patching your next hole with a scrap of a serape??  This would be a hip solution for your back pockets, and also for the elbows in your hubby’s worn out denim shirt…

Make {or buy} an APRON.

This apron is perfect for a summer BBQ ~ it would also make a great hostess gift for your first “Margaritas on the Deck” Fiesta this spring!! Click HERE to buy it online!!

FRAME a piece of the serape.

Showcase the palette of a serape blanket by framing a piece of the textile. This is a great way to display a serape that is damaged and otherwise worthless {you can usually get the vintage blankets for a deal when they have a hole or some other imperfection!!}

Use as a PILLOW CASE.

{Image from Country Living, June 2007}

Whether you use the serapes as an accent on a pillow, combined with other embellishments, or as the main fabric for a group of pillows ~ the look is fun and quirky, the perfect touch for a
Rustic * Western * Vintage space!!

Cut into squares and sew a QUILT.

I’m not a quilter {not even close}, but I do admire quilts, especially the flea-market variety that incorporate old clothes from the farm, and whatever other scraps the quilter could find. 

I would love to see a quilt made with vintage serape squares, corduroy, a canvas material, and some pretty red velvet.  Any quilters out there willing to take on the challenge??

Keep serapes in the car for impromptu PICNICS.

Brand new serapes are very difficult to stain ~ believe me, I’ve tried to make them look old ~ I’ve soaked them in tea and coffee for days on end, run them through the mud, and let my boys get wild with them. But they still come out of the washer perfectly clean, pretty and bright. The good news about this is that you finally have a picnic blanket that won’t become stained or tattered!!

Drape serapes over a simple chair for a Bright POP.

{Image from American Country COTTAGES by Mary Emmerling}

Serapes are a classic accessory for Americana homes, symbolizing our affection for Latin culture and it’s influence on the American West. This is evident by the great Mary Emmerling’s CLASSIC STYLING {ABOVE}.

** Click HERE for more Merchandise GUIDES **

** Click HERE for more from Women Out West’s **
Western Life BLOG

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Last summer I began blogging for the website for Women Out West Magazine.  I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus but I’m back on WOW writing their Western Life Blog…  AND they have a lovely new updated site that you will LOVE!!  Click HERE to check it out…

For my first post on the newly updated site I compiled
HAND MADE WESTERN MERCHANDISE that is now on Etsy
{like this gypsy-inspired bag from Red * Neck Chic… Love it!!}. 
You can see my complete post HERE.

Stay tuned for later this afternoon when I post a few more fabulosities from Etsy…

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My LAPTOP has become an extension of myself over the last few months {right, Hubby??}.  In an effort to take some extra loving care of my LAPTOP when I travel, I have posted a couple of options on my BLOG at WOW.  Plus a little glimpse of the future… {wink, wink}.  Check it out HERE.

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Last month I drooled over Pottery Barn Kid’s Cowboy Room so I thought I would share that lovely find, along with a couple of other fabulous sets of COWBOY SHEETS, over at WOW this week.  Click HERE to see what I found!!

For more Rustic * Western * Vintage
Bedding & Pillows Click HERE

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Last week I posted a Back to School Guide for kiddos.  This week, over at WOW, I decided to offer a few ideas for the BIG kids that are headed to school.  Click HERE to see what I found {like the awesome shoes above!!}.

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Since my introduction at WOW I have been working hard to find Western goods for an End of Summer Soiree.  Click HERE to see what I found!!

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