Throws 101

It’s getting colder here in St. Louis, so I am thinking about throws – also called sofa throws or throw blankets. It’s basically a blanket that you can throw or toss over something. They are not meant to be fitted, like a bed sheet or bed blanket.

Throws are usually smaller and more decorative than your regular blanket. They are typically 3X5 feet, but they can vary in size. Unlike your typical blanket, they are often edged with fringe.

Throws can provide interest to your room. They are a perfect way to add more color to a sofa or chair. They can be displayed decoratively as wall hangings.

They have a sculptural quality: you can mold throws to the back of a sofa, tucked behind the back and under the seat; form them to make a Christmas tree skirt; shape them around potted plants to disguise an ugly pot; or drape them above a window to create a valance...the possibilities are endless.

Typically I see throws across the end of a bed. Or consider this interesting twist: placing the throw on the diagonal (see above photo).

In addition to their aesthetic qualities, throws are functional. Besides the obvious use for warming your toes, throws are a great way to cover that chair or sofa that needs to be cleaned or that you want to keep clean.

When kids or grandkids eat at the dining table for the holidays, a throw used over the dining chair can keep the seat free from messes, not to mention how the kids love the soft feel.

You can tell the children they get to sit in the special seat – the “throw throne”!

What can you do with a throw this winter and holiday season?