Buying a floorcloth in person and online are two entirely different experiences. I have been a floorcloth maker, artist and designer for nearly 20 years and have had a website for only 8 of those years. I thought with a website my business would grow even faster since my work was available for the whole world to see...NOT. Online images do NOT do justice to this art form therefore many people wonder what all the fuss is about.

Most floorcloth makers will tell you that hand painted rugs are a hard sell in the first place. Floorcloths are better known now than when I first started in 1989, but I often find myself explaining my art to many first time lookers. And that's okay. I want folks to know exactly what they are looking at and what goes into making this wonderful artform.

So, just what really is a floorcloth? A floorcloth is a hand painted canvas rug made today in much the same fashion as in centuries past by laying down coats of paint and sealant one on top of the other on heavy weight canvas in a design of the artist's choice. The first floorcloths were imported to America by ship from Europe around the beginning of the 18th century and were used in place of expensive Oriental rugs and in some instances over dirt floors. Among the Colonial Americans owning floorcloths were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. They remained popular in the East for about 100 years until the advent of linoleum in the 1860's.

In 1872 Montgomery Ward offered floorcloths for sale by mail order and they were then available to those farther west to those that could afford them. History tells us that the Cherokee Indians of the 1700's made a type of floorcloth woven from hemp and painted them in bright colors.

Today floorcloths are a popular alternative to other types of rugs. They are intended for use on hard floors where they add interest and beauty without the maintenance or allergen problems associated with the others. They can be simply swept and mopped with the floor. A well made floorcloth is a labor intensive craft that will resemble heavy leather in texture and weight. The style and shape are only limited by one's imagination.

If you were shopping in person you could see the difference between a professionally made floorcloth and a simple craft as shown on HGTV or from a magazine article that shows you how to whip out a floorcloth in an afternoon.

First of all you must know that professionals use heavy weight canvas ranging usually from a #10 up to a #4. The lower the number the heavier the canvas. The floorcloth canvas sold in the package in the craft store is not much different than artist's canvas. It may be okay for placemats but not the floor.

Individual artists have different methods for shrinking or stretching raw canvas. It really is of no importance to the recipient, just a step to insure no wrinkles. Wrinkles should be unacceptable and are preventable with heavy canvas.

Each maker has their own preference of primers. I use outside latex because of it's ability to expand and contract with changing temperatures. Floorcloths will stiffen up in the cold. It's important that as it expands back to it's original composition when it warms up again that it doesn't stress and crack. The biggest stressor is during shipping. It may leave my studio on a 70 degree day and arrive 2 or 3 days later in the mountains of Oregon where it's 40 degrees. Because it was primed with outdoor latex it will only take a few minutes for the new owner to get out the blow dryer, warm it up and install it in it's new home, whereas with other primers, even latex interior, they can be warmed up with the dryer, but it may take much longer for the rug to relax and lie flat.

Next, it is very important for floorcloth makers to use compatible materials. Either all water or acrylic based paints and sealants or all oil-based paints and sealants. Using both water/acrylic and oil on the same floorcloth will result in cracking all the way down to the raw canvas. Sealing a floorcloth with oil based polyurethane will also make the finish yellow as it ages. Putting the floorcloth out in the sun for a few hours will brighten it up if you don't care for the aged look. An acrylic finish will be clear forever and with enough coverage it will be just as tough and long lasting as the oil based product. It's also better for our eco system.

The protective finish should be a minimum of 5 to 6 coats of sealant on the front and some makers will add a couple to the back for good measure. A glossy finish is the toughest but satin is usually preferred. Anything with less that 5 coats will wear thin quickly. I like to add a coat of clear bowling alley wax after the sealant has cured for added protection and flexibility. Some makers claim that this last process will make the surface slick, but I've not found that to be so. Today's sealants are so much better than they were 20 years ago that it probably isn't a necessary process any longer but I haven't given it up yet.

The hem can be either sewn or glued. I prefer gluing and use a very strong white glue. It stays, is very flat and expands and contracts with changing temperatures.

Sewn hems are really strong and allow for a very flat hem as well. Over time, though I've had sewn hems to show wear more quickly at the seams and in extreme temperature changes they can buckle and stay that way permanently.

 Hot glued hems have become unacceptable over the years as we have learned that with time the glue beads come to resemble long worms living under the hem. Very unattractive to say the least! Ask if you are not sure how the artist hems their rugs.

Mitered corners are great, and I sometimes use them on small mats and table top pieces. On large pieces that are sure to see a lot of foot traffic and wear, I use what I call, a tucked hem. There are no raw edges showing underneath that can ravel from many years of pressure. I learned this from taking apart an old floorcloth that I was reproducing when I first started. I continued using this method and it has proven to be very durable.

Floorcloths will slide across the floor if you do not secure them with a very, very thin pad within the hem line or double stick tape run along the hemmed edge. I don't use the paint-on rubber backing that is available because I am not sure it will last as long as the floorcloth. Think about the back side of those bath mats with rubber backing. The rubber will quickly disintegrate and peel in places after a very short time. I prefer the tape in my home because it keeps the edges down preventing trips and falls as well as keeping crumbs and dirt from finding their way underneath.

Let's see...just a couple of quick little things, but important things. The back should be clean and clear of paint spills, smudges, glue blobs, strings from the hem,... etc. It should be perfectly clean. This shows a good work ethic and craftsmanship is most important in my book. All corners should be perfectly square meaning that the maker needs to know how to use a carpenters square. There's nothing worse than placing a rug in front of the kitchen sink and it looks like your entire room is out of whack. Ugh!

I think I have covered the mechanics of making the rug. Can you see why it is called a labor intensive craft? We haven't even gotten to what attracts one to a floorcloth in the first place. The artwork.

The bottom line here is that all floorcloths are not created equal. There are many good artists here on ebay selling floorcloths and those following proven methods are becoming collected artists. Those that are not going to all the trouble to make a good lasting product before they start the art work are giving floorcloths a bad reputation. Professionally made floorcloths will last a lifetime with proper care and become heirlooms to be passed down to the next generation. They are an investment just like a treasured Oriental rug and they are to be considered an art form not just a craft. Just remember that old saying, "you get what you pay for." If it's cheap...it's probably cheaply made.

Because this is much longer than I ever intended this will have to be continued....I will cover art, custom orders and the biggie...price in the next guide.