How to Decorate With Antique Indian Saris

Sari Seating

• Saris are relatively low priced when they're made of basic materials with simple yet dynamic patterns and designs. As an accent, a sari becomes a lightweight throw to adorn a solid-colored chair or sofa. Creative home sewers can fashion a festive pillow cover to jazz up a throw pillow. If you have more advanced skills or access to a professional upholstery service, reupholster an entire chair or couch with a sari to create a bold statement for any room. Don't limit yourself to the living room; reinvented saris make attractive napkins, tablecloths and table runners for the dining room.

Dazzling Drapes

• Drapery can transform a room when the light shines through them; to enhance this warm glow, give a sari new life as a curtain. If you know how to use a sewing machine, you can measure, cut, hem and sew your way to winning window treatments. Look for medium-weight fabrics, which are easiest to work with, particularly for novice sewers. Measure carefully when determining how much fabric you will need. Antique Indian saris come in different shapes and sizes, and judicious measuring helps you avoid finding fabric that won't work with your space. Look for saris with hints of gold to imbue a sunlit room with a warm, diffuse glow.

Fashionable Art

• No sewing skills are required to turn a sari into a piece of art; just use a wooden frame or canvas, a heavy-duty staple gun and an antique Indian sari to transform it into a one-of-a-kind wall hanging. Simply stretch the material over the frame or canvas and staple to secure it. Pull the material tight to avoid wrinkles and sags. If your sari has a large pattern, adjust the design to center it. A similar technique turns saris into picture frame mats; just remove the mat from the frame, cut around the basic shape and use glue or fabric adhesive to attach the trimmed-down sari fabric to the mat's back-side. These handcrafted pieces deliver dramatic impact when highlighted against a solid wall -- both alone and as a series.

Casual Camoflauge

• Saris also provide decorative disguise. Tacked onto the wall as a hanging tapestry, a sari can hide an unsightly heating vent or a chipped paint job. Paint-friendly adhesive hooks don't cause damage or require a permanent commitment. You can change these pieces out according to the season or a whim. Get out that staple gun and use a happily hued sari to magically transform an ottoman into a completely new piece of custom furniture. Whether you introduce antique Indian saris as a design focal point or decorative accent, the result is Bollywood beautiful.