Animal prints cycle in and out of popularity, whether it’s apparel or pet supplies or home decor. In the past decade, however, animal prints have come to be regarded as more of a classic style that shows a sense of care for nature, even with something as seemingly small as a leopard pillow.

Interior designers who prefer the “less is more” approach to using animal prints highly approve of a leopard print pillow to add a dash of nature to a ho-hum home scheme. The idea is that just a touch of a print like leopard will enliven a room, while an entire theme room can look too much like an amusement park.

Revel In Jungle Dreams With A Leopard Pillow

At the same time, there are home decorators for whom there’s no such thing as too many leopard prints. They like its bold, eye-catching design and feel it’s worth repeating – provided it’s the genuine article in an animal print. An authentic leopard pillow will have a pattern of dark brown or black rosettes closely spaced together without any black in the center. A pattern with black in the center is that of a jaguar, a leopard’s close cousin whom too many manufacturers confuse with a real leopard. It’s a crucial distinction for those who want accuracy in their decorating scheme.

Many decorators like using animal prints in bedrooms, something that’s easier today with so many animal print bed linens available. Even with “bed-in-a-bag” bedding sets, however, decorative pillows that finish off the scheme are usually sold separately. If possible, get the pillows from the same maker as the bed linens in hopes of matching the print accurately. One way to accessorize a set like this is to use solid-colored sheets in complementary colors and reserve the animal print for the bedspread or comforter and a matching pillow. This scheme works beautifully with beds made of wood, bamboo or wrought iron. If there’s room for a side chair in the bedroom, a darkly upholstered chair with a leopard pillow is a great way to tie everything together.

Many designers find the Contemporary style of decorating an ideal setting for a leopard print pillow. The sleek lines of the furniture stand up well to the impact of pillows, a throw or a blanket in animal print. If the room is large enough, as with a bedroom, the same side-chair-and-pillow grouping also serves to give the room a sense of unity. Because of the warm golden yellow center to their rosettes, leopard prints work especially well with warmer neutral combinations, especially those in cream to chocolate brown ranges.

For those with a real wild streak, it’s possible to find a leopard pillow with pink, green or even purple background. These pillows are ideal for a jungle safari theme for a child’s room. In this instance the authenticity of the animal print may not be as crucial, but try to look for it all the same. Kids learn from everything in their environment, so if you’re going to the trouble of setting up a nature theme for them, why not make at least a little bit like real life?

Once upon a time, the word “fleece” meant a sheepskin. These days the word more often refers to a plush synthetic fabric that is warm, cozy and in the case of leopard fleece, spotted!

The polyester fabric with a soft deep pile that’s known as fleece today has found its way into all kinds of products. Particularly when paired with animal prints, fleece is most often used to create blankets or throws that protect against cold and wind. However, clothing designers and other manufacturers have discovered that when it comes to leopard print fleece, the only limit is their imagination.

Everything’s Warm and Cozy with Leopard Fleece

For example, how often has someone curled up in a comfy fleece robe on a cold winter’s night? The online vendor Crazy for Bargains.com features robes in fun leopard fleece for as little as $15 each. As a purveyor of fun sleepwear for all the family, this site also offered women’s pajama pants in pink leopard fleece for less than $8.

As if the natural camouflage provided by a leopard’s coat wasn’t enough, another website, Karma Loop, offers The Colleague Fleece Varsity Jacket in Leopard Camo. Imagine putting a leopard’s print into camouflage colors! This version from Men’s Jackets by Crooks and Castles retails for $106.

Another longtime clothing vendor, Old Pueblo Traders, sells a leopard print fleece cape for women with ruffle trim on the hem for around $70. This 27-inch-long garment is made of microfiber fleece that resists pilling and is machine washable. A leopard print beret to match is also available. If the beret isn’t enough to keep the wearer’s head warm, Amazon.com’s Marketplace features Blue Leopard Fleece Earmuffs byMontano’s Inc. on sale for half price, $12.50.

Looking at the offerings from a number of pet supply websites, lots of pets have come down with a serious case of leopard envy. Why else would there be such a selection of kennel pads, dog toys, dog coats and cat beds in leopard fleece? Possibly the best example of this trend was a cat bed called a “slumber ball” offered by the catalog site, Drs. Foster & Smith, that will make any domesticated kitty think she’s queen of the jungle. In addition to its nod to conservation with a leopard print in gray or tan, the slumber ball is stuffed with polyfil, a stuffing made from recycled soda bottles. In sizes from 18 to 32 inches, the slumber ball was on sale for $30 to $55.

Of course, what would any overview of the ingenious designs for leopard print fleece be without a look at traditional throws and blankets? On the auction side eBay alone, vendors showed 20 variations of fleece throws and blankets! A Texas vendor, Tricia’s Treasures, showed a new leopard fleece throw measuring a generous 50-by-60 inches. Finished with a brown blanket stitch, the 100 percent polyester, machine washable throw could be embroider with a name of the customer’s choice for only $20.

It looks like leopard fleece has become a cozy, inventive and economical way to keep away the chill.

Like big cats who drape themselves lazily over the branches of jungle trees, leopard curtains can drape any room in a home with some natural beauty.

Animal prints have a way of going in and out of fashion when it comes to home decorating. However, lately it seems as though animal prints have earned a status as a classic pattern suitable for almost any era and many styles. What’s even more encouraging, leopard print curtains have the capacity to serve everywhere from a safari-themed living room to a bathroom spa.

Leap Into Decorating Fashion With Leopard Curtains

Shower curtains in animal prints have become quite fashionable of late. For example, Bedding Sets.com offered two lines of leopard print curtains for the shower. Sin in Linen’s natural leopard curtains are printed on 100 percent cotton and measure 72 inches both in width and length for just $36. An all-cotton shower curtain such as this will also need a vinyl liner to keep water in and protect the fabric. Another option from this vendor was Kimlor’s leopard shower curtain, which comes with single panel curtain and vinyl liner measuring 72 inches long and wide – a standard shower curtain measurement — for $30.

Another online vendor, BedBath Store, offered a final closeout on a Safari Beige Leopard Print Shower Curtain in 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton. This curtain measured 70 inches wide by 72 inches long, making it necessary to buy two to protect a really large shower or tub, as well as needing vinyl liners. However, at a final closet price of $25 each, multiple purchases were still a bargain.

Once the bathroom is well spotted, any other room in the home can take a wild turn with leopard treatments for the windows. These curtains can come in virtually any fabric, from sheer voiles to touchable, cozy plush.

Walmart offers sheer voile leopard curtains in 100 percent polyester for less than $10 a panel, again making it possible to buy several panels for multiple windows. The machine washable curtains measure 59 inches wide and 84 inches long and can be hung with standard or decorative rods.

The online vendor, BedBath Store, featured a combination of leopard window treatments in panels plus a leopard print valance. Measuring 88 inches long by 18 inches wide, the valance was on sale for less than $40, while the 42-by-87-inch drapery panels sold for less than $70. Clearly it’s possible to spot some spots for quite economical prices these days.

Another online vendor, Touch of Class, also featured lightweight window panels and a matching valance to add some flair to anyone’s lair. Made of machine washable polyester voile, the panels were on sale for $20 each while the valance was priced at $34.

Kohl’s offered a set of leopard print curtains that brings texture as well as pattern in a window treatment. In brown and multicolor,  Lush Decor® Aniplush Window Treatments in leopard prints are fully lined plush fabric that provides additional insulation and utmost privacy. The combination also was on sale at $30 per drapery panel and $21 per valance.

Finally, leopard curtains have even made their way from windows to wall coverings. Home Depot offered Blue Mountain Wall Coverings’ Leopard Curtain Border for 22.98 per yard. Image an entire room topped by a wallpaper border from which leopard spots leaped out. What a combination!

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If you see spots before you eyes when you go to bed at night, let’s hope it’s just your glorious leopard print bedding.

Animal prints of all kinds tend to go in and out of fashion in both home decor and apparel, but lately it seems as though furnishings such as leopard print bedding are holding their own against all newcomers. If a touch of the wild is what you need to liven up your bedroom – or your child’s bedroom, since children love animal themes – it’s best to know a little about how to choose quality bed linens.

Dream Of The Jungle In Leopard Print Bedding

First, know a little about the animal whose print will soon decorate your home. In the case of leopard print bedding, be sure to look for a pattern with dark brown or black rosettes that are closely spaced together. Too often, manufacturers will mistake a leopard’s spots for those of its cousin, the jaguar. The way to tell the difference is that a jaguar’s rosettes have a black center, while a leopard’s rosettes don’t. After all, using a manmade leopard print, rather than the actual coat of the animal as people did a century ago, shows not only good fashion sense but also a sense of care for nature. This can be an especially important lesson to teach a little one if the bedding is for a child’s room.

Next, keep in mind the basics of choosing any quality bedding. Remember that lighter colors show stains more easily, while darker colors tend to fade faster. Even with a pattern such as leopard print bedding, the light or dark background of the pattern may make a difference in how good the sheets look after several washings. Also be sure to choose the right size for the bed (twin, full, queen, king) and the mattress depth or “pocket” (measured in inches). Most home decorators recommend actually measuring the width, length and depth of the mattress, since these measurements can still vary even with standard sizes.

Leopard bedding often comes in more limited fabric types than solid color sheets or more traditional prints. As a rule, sheets are made from cotton, polyester, satin, silk charmeuse and now even bamboo cloth. For example, Egyptian cotton sheets are thought to be among the world’s finest, because they are spun from longer, thinner cotton fibers. Always touch and test sheet fabrics in person, and look for the highest possible thread count to assure good quality construction. A 300- to 400- thread count or higher is considered good quality. At the highest luxury end thread count becomes less important, since a sheet of 800-thread count feels the same as a 1,000-thread count.

Comparing prices online also is a wise step when looking for quality in leopard print bedding. Buying quality bed linens from an online vendor can be chancy since there’s no way to test the fabric, so always be sure to find out the vendor’s return policy before purchasing. Also keep in mind that the lowest price may not be the best bargain because of the quality of the sheets. Armed with comparisons from online searches, it’s often possible to get a bedding store to match prices found online.

Once you’ve found the leopard print bedding that makes you purr with contentment, snatch up those spots right there and then; something this good is not likely to be in the shop too long!

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Have you ever wanted to change your bedroom to something simply outrageous and exotic? There are so many possibilities out there that it can be very hard to make up your mind. There are whimsical choices, nautical choices, beachy styles, lunar possibilities; the list goes on forever. But give some thought to the timeless beauty of animal prints. Things like the leopard bed set can be found in almost all stores that sell linens. Animal prints never go out of style and they have been popular since the Inca tribe hundreds of years ago. Then, they used animal skins to make furniture, clothes and heavy winter coats. They even used them to make shoes to protect their feet.

The Beautifully Exotic Leopard Bed Set

Animal prints have fascinated people for many years. They include giraffe spots, zebra stripes and leopard prints. You can purchase the entire bed in a bag set or just parts to make your bedroom a truly exotic and interesting place to be. Leopard bed sets can be found in both heavy and lightweight fabrics so you can use them all year long. There are many ways to use leopard bed sets to create just the right room for you. Some people want to smother themselves in animal prints where others may just want a touch of the animal print in their room. You can create any look you want for your own room. A sleek black bedspread paired with a leopard bed set can tone down the leopard print for a classic animal print room. An extra leopard bed set that includes sheets can be very easily made in to a set of curtains to match your bed. Black, room darkening sheets with leopard print tie backs can create a very classy window treatment.

Whether you prefer zebra, giraffe, or leopard print you can create an awesome room that’s just right for you and your taste. A little or a lot, it’s all up to you. Take some time to look at designing magazines and online pictures of rooms that are done in animal prints. You will be amazed at all of the possibilities. Be sure, however, that you don’t copy someone else’s design. To be able to create your special space, make sure it is truly your own by using components from many different ideas to create your own style. Only when it is truly yours will you love it!

If a leopard bedding set isn’t for you, check out the other animal prints that are available. They really add an exotic feel to your room and their beauty is limitless. Zebra stripes have made a tremendous resurgence in recent years. You can find zebra print fabric in black stripes paired with hot pink, lime green and light purple. It is still obviously the traditional zebra print but with a whole new modern twist. It’s all the rage for teenager’s bedrooms these days. All the new colors are very popular with the younger set. They can have the bedroom of their dreams with a simple bed set and a little creativity.

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Leopard print sheets have many uses other than for your bed. Of course they look amazing on the bed in the bedroom. They give a beautiful exotic look to the bedroom. Paired with a luxurious black comforter, leopard print sheets and shams will create a flamboyant ambiance in any room. The timeless zebra, giraffe and leopard print sheets have been a favorite for many generations. Actually, animal prints can be found every where in fashion, from shoes and jackets to lingerie and accessories.

Have you thought about all of the things that can be made from sheets? The possibilities are endless. There is enough fabric in a set of sheets for you to make your own fashion statement. If you are handy with a needle and thread you can really get creative with a set of leopard print sheets or any other kind of sheets. Find some sheets you really like, such as the very fashionable leopard print or even a geometrical giraffe spot pattern. Let’s get to work creating some wonderful things for you and your home.

Many Uses for Leopard Print Sheets

If you find a really great price on particular sheet sets, buy two or more. Buy a matching solid color flat sheet or two. Using the fitted sheets on your mattress, take the set’s flat sheets to make curtains for your windows. This helps to pull your room together in style. Scraps from the flat sheets can be used to make tie backs for curtains, or to put a ruffle on plain pillow shams or even to cover a wreath for your wall. Using a scrap of sheeting makes a very interesting background for a framed picture and scraps large enough will make a few throw pillows for your bed. You can always use a matching solid color for the backs of the pillows.

Let’s move on to clothing and accessories made from sheets. It’s easy to make a simple mini skirt from sheet material. Never throw away the scraps as there are hundreds of uses for them. Picture a cute, exotic, and very sexy mini skirt made from leopard print sheets. Using the leftover fabric you can make a scarf or a sash type of belt to go with your skirt. Using smaller scraps make little bows to attach to your shoes to pull the outfit together. You may even be able to pull together enough of the scraps to create a small handbag to accessorize your outfit. A set of sheets is much less expensive then buying this outfit so you’ve saved a ton of money, and you have the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself!

Hopefully it’s easy to see now how you can use your creativity and discount sheets to design your own clothing and accessories. Take your time and shop for sheets that can be repurposed. As you peruse the internet shops with thousands of colors and prints for good deals on sheets be sure and look for patterns that spark your creativity. You are only limited by your own imagination!

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Animal print fabrics have staunchly survived the test of time and fashion. You can find it made into everything from tops, pants, sheets, blankets and even furnishings. Every kind of animal print is used for everything these days, just as in days past. You may like tiger stripes, giraffe spots or leopard print, but you must admit it, you certainly like an animal print. Whether it’s just lingerie or an entire set of bedroom linens including a leopard print comforter, it’s all a matter of taste.

Re-Style Your Room With A Leopard Print Comforter

Let’s take the bedroom as an example. You make like the sleek look of the zebra print or you may like something a little less black and white like the leopard print, but having your bedroom done in an animal print fabric is simply exotic. Imagine your room done in leopard print, for instance. You can use red, black, white, or even a pastel color on the walls; there’s just something exciting about a big fluffy leopard print comforter on the bed. You can add satin sheets in leopard print and leopard print curtains for a more complete look to the room. You may even want to add a couple of leopard print throw rugs to the look if you want to completely surround yourself in your chosen animal print room.

Okay, maybe that’s a little overboard for your style. Even if it’s not your style to dive in to an animal print head first, you may want to consider trying something a little more subtle. Keeping with the leopard print example, maybe you would prefer a black or brown fabric with a trim or a little edge of leopard bedding to tone it down a little. For a classic look, try a leopard print comforter with solid black or brown pillow shams. You can also add black or brown curtains to your windows, but add a set of leopard print tie backs.

There are many different looks that you can use in combination with a leopard print comforter. It’s so easy to tone it down, or completely saturate a room with any animal print. If you find the one you like best and experiment with less or more of it to suit your taste. Try adding other colors to the room until you get the look you want. The same works with other animal prints too. You can find zebra prints that aren’t just black and white. The print itself is still very noticeable even if it’s lime green and white or pink and black. You can find some very interesting animal prints designed from many different colors, but they are all very recognizable as the animal they were designed to match.

Whether its giraffe, zebra or leopard print that sparks your interest and curiosity, you can create that special room with just the right mix of animal print and solid colors to fit your taste and style. It can be an entire room or just a little corner of your world that you decide to make especially tantalizing and exotic.

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Bed in a bag sets are all the rage right now and they have been for quite some time. They make changing a room’s appearance so easy, you don’t need to run all over town and to several different stores to find the perfect match, and they can be much more cost effective when you purchase them already put together. They can certainly save tons of time from the shopping to the redecorating of the room. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from. Choose heavy fabrics for fall and winter and lighter fabrics for spring and summer. Choose from leopard bed in a bag prints, geometric prints or from a wide array of solid colors. You can also mix and match to create a look all your own.

Whether you choose to purchase one or several bed in a bag sets, keep in mind that you can get, for instance, solid black or brown sheets and solid black or brown pillow shams to compliment your leopard bedding set to create just enough of a change to hold your interest longer. Use the leopard print bed in a bag set for a while with all leopard print. When using the same leopard bed in a bag comforter, try changing just the sheets and shams to create a softer look. Of course you can use any color paint you like, but consider a darker green paint in your walls for a truly exotic jungle feel.

Teens love leopard prints, zebra stripes and giraffe spots. They find these prints on their clothing and accessories, on posters, and even on school supplies. Why not remake their room with an animal print design? By perusing all of the animal print fabrics available you will find that animal prints are still very recognizable even when the colors are changed. One of the newest options available are the wonderful colors of the zebra print fabrics. In most of the designs the black lines stay the same but the white stripes are being interchanged with hot pink or lime green. There is no doubt that it is zebra print as it is easily recognizable even though the colors are not the traditional black and white. The leopard bed in a bag sets may be in basic black, brown and tan, but don’t be surprised if you find the right print in completely different and often very funky colors.

Animal print designs have certainly been able to stand the test of time. They have been around as long as the animals they are designed after. Some very innovative designers have created the same prints but in a very wide array of fabrics from faux fur to light weight cotton and high quality linen. This helps to make the giraffe, zebra, and leopard bed in a bag sets more versatile than ever. You can even have one light weight and one heavy weight set to keep your exotic look all year long!

You can find these exciting designs both in stores and online shops in all weights and styles. Peruse the online shops for great deals on all kinds of bed in a bag sets.

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Here’s a way to stretch out in luxury without harming the environment: choose a striking set of leopard sheets for your bedroom.

Whether they’re a traditional design of brown-black-tan natural leopard print or leopard spots on a vivid pink background, the big cat pattern won’t matter once you feel the smoothness of top quality sheets against your skin.

Time was that savvy consumers could look solely at thread count and know they were purchasing quality sheets. While a thread count of 200 or higher is still advisable for quality, these days there are many different fabrics and ways to process fabric finish. It pays to know something of these details before you go prowling for the leopard sheets that will bring a touch of the wild into your bedroom.

How To Select Leopard Sheets

First, consider the fabric used to make your leopard sheets. Believe it or not, the best fabric for sheets is cotton, which breathes well against the human body. There are several types of cotton, among them Egyptian, grown along the Nile River Valley to produce exceptionally fine quality yarn; Pima Cotton, named after the Pima Indian tribe of the American Southwest; and Organic cotton, a variety grown without fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Other types of fabrics may be used to create your leopard sheets. These include synthetics such as polyester, which resists wrinkles but isn’t as soft and durable as cotton. Most leopard sheets in satin are made of polyester charmeuse, which is silky to the touch, but doesn’t breathe and may not last long. Cotton-polyester blends also are used, but these sheets aren’t as breathable and wear out faster than 100 percent cotton. One alternative to cotton that’s proving itself is soft and silky bamboo cloth, made from the pulp of bamboo grass, a fiber that resists bacteria and is hypoallergenic.

After fabric, look for the type of weave in your leopard sheets.

Common Leopard Print Sheets Weaves Include

Sateen, which puts most of its threads on the surface in a four over, one under stitch. This weave is extremely soft, but it’s not as durable as some other weaves.

Pinpoint, which is a stitch of two over and one under. It’s more durable than regular weave but not as soft as sateen.

Percale, in which the yarns are woven one over and one under to create a strong, long-lasting fabric that lets air to pass through easily. While crisp at first, percale will soften with repeated washings.

When looking at manufacturing techniques, most likely your leopard sheets will be made of combed cotton, a process in which short, uneven fibers are removed. This leaves behind long, straight cotton fibers that are evenly aligned.

Flannel sheets – and yes, you can find leopard print sheets in flannel – are soft and fuzzy with a napped finish. This type of sheet will really keep you cozy over cold winter nights.

Alas, however, leopard print sheets so far haven’t been found in a Jersey finish. Just as their name implies, Jersey sheets feel like wearing a T-shirt to bed. Since these are knitted rather than woven, there’s no thread count to check. Since they apparently don’t come in a leopard print, you might have to coordinate them with a leopard comforter to get in your quota of spots!

Sweet dreams on your leopard sheets!

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Want to feel toasty warm with a touch of the jungle? What you need is for a leopard comforter.

Before you set your sights on some spots, learn a little bit about what goes into making a quality comforter. Even the most beautiful leopard comforter does you no good if it cannot keep you warm and does not last a long time.

When you think about it, comforter sets are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to update your bedroom. Whatever size bed you have, there are leopard print comforter sets that can bring some jungle jazz to your bedroom almost instantly, if you keep some basics in mind.

3 Features to Look for in a Quality Leopard Comforter

Manufacturers tell us the three most important qualities in a down comforter are its thread count, fill power and baffle box construction.

Fill power is simply how fluffy the comforter is. It measures the amount of space taken up by one ounce of down. The higher the fill power, the more insulation it will provide. In other words, it’s a good measure of the comforter’s quality and warmth. Comforters with fill power ranging from 500 to 700 are quality products.

Thread count means how many threads are woven into each square inch of fabric, just as with sheets. A higher thread count means your comforter will be softer and more durable, and will keep the fill inside and impurities outside, including things like dust and bacteria. A note: thread count doesn’t apply to leopard comforters that are made of faux fur material.

Baffle box construction means the way the comforter is sewn together. Specifically it means that the comforter is sewn with “walls” or partitions that keep the down from clumping up. Otherwise you’ll have a comforter where the down shifts and bunches up, leaving you without insulation.

Armed with this knowledge about the quality of comforters, you can start prowling for just the style of leopard comforter you want in order to complete your leopard bedding set. Even the traditional black-and-tan leopard print combinations can be found embellishment with chocolate piping or black backing to contrast with the print.

Leopard Print Comforters in Every Size & Color

Comforter sets come in all sizes, from daybeds to California Kings and they come in an assortment of prints too including comforters in adventurous leopard prints. A typical leopard comforter print should look like the pattern of the big cat: a defined dark brown or black rosette with a tan center, but without a black center rosette (that’s the pattern for a cheetah!).

A stylish variation seen recently in the Snow Leopard comforter set offered on Amazon.com. The leopard comforter had a graduated layout that was more open at the top and denser on the bottom, a pattern repeated in the pillow shams. The comforter reversed to a solid fawn background color, while the tailored bedskirt included in the 6-piece ensemble was solid black. This design made for a great combination of contrasts.

For a real knock-out punch for a girl’s room, consider a purple leopard comforter from Target. In fact, many leopard prints are paired with bright colors these days when designed for children and teen-agers. The combination of all those leopard spots on a vivid background really shows where the wild things are in your home!