Little decor ideas for big impact: hanging rugs as wall art

Most of us have at least a rug or two on our floors. Rugs are of course great for floors for many reasons but that’s not all they’re great for. An overlooked use for them is hanging rugs as wall art. And you can even use rugs as a headboard for beds. Today’s little decor idea for big impact is all about why you should hang rugs as wall art. Plus find 10 rugs that would make great wall art at the end of this article.

You can get rugs that are specially designed as wall hangings. But you don’t have to limit yourself to these. You can choose practically any rug out there and turn it in to a wall hanging. This will give you a huge choice of colours, styles, materials and prices to pick from.

Don’t restrict yourself to the living room only – a simple animal shaped rug can look great hung up in a kids room or a wool rug can add warmth to a cold entryway – any blank wall can be brought to life with a rug.

Why hanging rugs as wall art works so well

1.add texture

Every room needs texture. Texture is one of the keys to making a room feel cohesive and inviting. When we think about texture, we don’t necessarily think about adding it to our walls. A rug hung on the wall is a quick and easy way to add more texture to a room while adding art too.

2. make a statement

Hanging rugs as wall art isn’t that common. The reason this decor idea is overlooked is because most of us think of rugs purely as floor coverings. So if you hang a rug up on the wall, not only will you make quite a statement but it will be a unique look too.

3. add warmth

Whether on the floor or on the wall, rugs add warmth. They’re made out of materials like wool, jute or cotton and fabrics like these instantly add warmth to a room. Even if you have floor rugs, adding rugs to your walls will increase the feeling of warmth and cosiness in your room.

4. create a focal point

If a room feels like it’s not coming together, it could be lacking a focal point. A rug on the wall will create a focal point immediately. Don’t restrict yourself to just the living room though – a wall hung rug can make a great headboard for a bed or can create a focal point in a dull entryway.

The two key things to keep in mind when hanging rugs as wall art are size and hanging method. The size of the rug will be dictated by the size of the wall and the size of the furniture below it. If in doubt, always err on the side of bigger rather than smaller. Also, hang horizontally to accentuate the width of a space and vertically to accentuate the height of a room. Long, vertically hung rugs can make your ceilings look higher so it’s good little design trick too.

If you buy a rug that’s meant to be used as a wall hanging, it will come with everything you need to hang it.But for a much wider choice, you can choose any floor rug you like and turn it in to a wall hanging. For the hanging method, you can go with a rod/hanger or without. I prefer the latter as it gives a more minimal look. Also when the rug is attached to the wall, it looks more like modern art whereas the rod look can be a bit boho/rustic. This is personal preference but it’s worth considering. Here’s a handy tutorial on how to hang rugs on the wall.