Cowhide rugs are can be a beautiful addition to any home, but did you know that it is a true artisanal craft to create these rugs? You can truly appreciate the quality of your cowhide rug when you know every step that has to happen before it graces the floors of your home.

Here is all you need to know about how cowhide rugs are created:

Basically it all starts with cows. The reason that cowhide rugs are so very versatile and come in different colors and patterns is because cows are born with colorful and unique hides. So many people just picture plain black and white spots when they think of cowhide, but cows come in so many different colors and patterns. There are so much more can just black and white cows. They come in all white, tricolor, brindle, speckled, salt n pepper and even Brahman gray. Each cow has a unique hide that means no one else will have the exact same rug you have. Even twin cows have a slightly different pattern.

Never forget that all the beauty of the rug comes from the natural beauty of the cows. When you choose to adorn your home with a cowhide rug, it is because you appreciate elements of the natural world and want to bring them into your home.

Unfortunately, the biggest reason many people are wary of buying a cowhide rug is the ethical and environmental implications about where the cowhide comes from. The cowhide rug industry understands that though and makes sure it only practices ethical and environmentally safe manufacturing processes.

Look for cowhide from Brazil, Argentina and Colombia because they are known for having the highest quality cowhide manufactured in a humanely way. For the softest, most supple cowhide always choose Brazilian.

So you might be asking, what exactly does humanely mean? It means that the cows are not specifically killed for their hide. The cowhide rug industry only uses the skins of cows who are farmed for meat and dairy products. These skins, if they weren’t recycled into rugs, would have just been thrown out by the meat processing plant.