C.J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
What Is a Mexican Falsa Blanket and It’s Many Uses
Article Updated: 8/7/23
Original Article Posted 11/19/21
Looking for the perfect gift for a friend or family member can be very difficult. Over the years, I have given many gifts that the recipients have loved. I always tune into their personalities and likes to find something that they would truly love and actually use or need. You can learn about my super thoughtful gift idea 30 Days of Notes gift idea by clicking this link.
One of my favorite Christmas “add-on” gifts is BLANKETS. Sometimes I like to gift someone a main gift, then something smaller, like a blanket, as the “add-on”. No matter the household, throw blankets are always needed and used.
Read on to learn about some of my favorite blanket gift ideas as well as more about my favorite inexpensive blanket, a Mexican Falsa Blanket.
1-The Tortilla Blanket
Tortilla Blanket Gift Idea
In December 2020, I felt everyone needed a little bit more laughter in their life due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I bought lots of silly gifts that year. My nephew has the same sense of humor as I do (complete and total silliness with a touch of “weird”) so I sent him a round throw blanket that looked like a flour tortilla.
Due to it’s round size, you can wrap yourself up like a burrito and hop around the house in the most silly way. He loved it, but of course. You can also buy pizza blankets and other food related blankets on amazon that would make the perfect gifts for the foodie in your life.
2- The Warming Blanket
Electric Throw Blanket Gift Idea
An electric throw blanket is one of the best gifts you can give to the person in your life that is always cold. I gifted one to my mother-in-law one year and she loved it. You can find them on Amazon, but if you don’t mind shopping around, you can also sometimes find name brand versions at stores like Big Lots.
I also bought one for myself when I lived in a colder climate. I added it as a blanket layer to my side of the bed only because my husband does not like any kind of warming blanket on him while he sleeps. With a heated throw, it was small enough for only myself to enjoy the extra bit of heat in the super cold winters.
3- The Mexican FAlsa Blanket
Mexican Style Throw Blanket
I bought my first Mexican style blanket years ago after using one in a salt cave experience. The salt cave was cool, so the business provided the heavier-weight cotton blankets during your time in the cave.
My Favorite $13 Gift Idea
They had some falsa blankets in the gift shop of the salt cave and I purchased one. After washing it a couple of times, it softened and thickened, making it a great throw blanket for any room of the house. I was curious about the origins of the textile after purchasing, so I did a little research.
See our Mexican Falsa Blankets in action on our porch and more in our 30 second video below or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Mexican falsa blankets, also known as serape blankets, are a vibrant and iconic part of Mexican culture. These blankets are traditionally handwoven with a blend of acrylic and cotton fibers, creating a durable and soft textile perfect for various purposes. The intricate and vivid striped patterns, often featuring bold and contrasting colors, make these blankets visually striking and capable of adding a touch of warmth and charm to any space.
Whether used as a cozy throw on a chilly evening, a colorful picnic blanket, or even as a decorative wall hanging, Mexican falsa blankets effortlessly capture the essence of Mexico's rich heritage and can instantly elevate the style and ambiance of any home or outdoor gathering. Learn more interesting facts about falsa blankets by visiting the Smithsonian Magazine website.
My Mini American Eskimo
Most recently, I was in need of some throws for my outdoor egg chairs. Not only did I need them for our cooler Florida winter evenings, but I also needed them to cover the cushions as some small dead gnats would wind up all over them every morning.
Perfect Porch Blanket
The chairs sit next to our kitchen window, so the light from the home must bring the gnats to the chairs in the evenings. It’s not a big deal, but I was wanting to protect the light colored cushions from them, so I ordered more of the Mexican style blankets from Amazon.
Use a Mexican Throw to Protect Furniture
I also wanted to protect the cushions from our dogs claws, as they absolutely love sitting in my egg chairs!
The blankets I ordered had decent reviews and were cheaper if you allowed the seller to choose the colors. All the colors were pretty, so I ordered two, allowing the seller to choose my blankets. Most Mexican style blankets on Amazon are $19 and up with similar reviews, so I didn’t think I could go wrong with trying out these cheaper versions. They were $13 when I purchased them in 2021, but they have gone up slightly in price since then.
Johnny Cash Loves This Blanket
In the first few I ordered, I received a red and gray blanket and a green and gray blanket. The only difference between the one I purchased on Amazon vs. the one I purchased at the salt cave was that the Amazon version had tassels and was slightly thinner. That blanket at the salt cave was $25, but very similar in quality.
Enjoying working at home on the porch
I washed them both immediately and placed them on my cushions. They did have quite a bit of lint that came off of them after washing and drying. I expected that due to their material makeup of acrylic and cotton.
Buy colorful Mexican blankets for your whole house
They also shed a little onto my cushions, but again, I expected that due to the low cost of the blanket and the light color of my cushions. I expect this shedding to cease once I wash them a few more times.
Washing the Mexican throw makes it softer
The colors were very pretty and went well with my porch aesthetic. Getting the red and green colors made me think of Christmas and actually gave me the idea for this article! They are warm and cozy despite being a little on the thin side. I wasn’t looking for a heavy blanket, so this was fine with me. I like sitting on them as well because they are soft.
Mexican blankets are great for beach days
I like taking this style of blanket to the beach. They are great to spread out on the sand, layer and even wrap up on chillier beach days. Thankfully, when Hurricane Ian hit our Sanibel Island home on September 28th, 2022, it sent the blankets and chairs all tumbling around to one end of our porch, but most survived.
These falsa blankets survived Hurricane Ian
We had to throw some away (the ones that were in our reed fence ceiling 1st floor area, were flooded with the chemical ladden floodwaters that Ian brought), but I ordered new replacements as we really do like them. Our cushions were fairly messy, and some we had to fully replace, but the blankets that were not tossed into flood waters washed right up and cover any remnants of Hurricane Ian.
Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash approve of our falsa blankets
I’m sure buying an authentic Mexican blanket from Mexico is a better quality than the ones I purchased at the salt cave and on Amazon, but until I make it back to Mexico one day, these will do for now. They also work really well at protecting furniture from bird poop and lizard poop (which we have plenty of in Southwest Florida) and to prevent dust or blowing debris from getting on patio furniture cushions when they are not in use. We also have one in our RV, take them to the beach and they also make a great addition to yoga too!
If you are loving this article, we think you’ll love this one too: Most Thoughtful Gifts 101
C.J. Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
The $13 Blanket to Gift Everyone This Christmas