Wise eyes and soft, fluffy feathers

With their big round eyes, fluffy feathers and quiet, watchful calm, owls are one of the most charming animals for a nursery or a reading corner. An owl rug brings that gentle wisdom into a room: a sleepy owl cut to its own shape, a round owl face with huge eyes, a family of owls on a branch beneath the moon or a snowy owl in a winter forest. Ours are printed edge to edge on soft velvet, so every feather comes out in lovely detail, and every rug goes in the washing machine.

Owl designs

Design	The look	Best in
Sleepy owl shape	A round, drowsy owl cut to its outline	Nurseries, beside a bed
Owl face	Big round eyes and ear tufts on a round rug	Kids' rooms, reading corners
Moonlit branch	Owls perched under a crescent moon and stars	Nurseries, bedrooms
Snowy owl	A white owl in a winter forest	Calm bedrooms, winter decor
Barn owl	The heart-shaped face in soft gold and white	Studies, cabins, farmhouses
Woodland owl family	Owls with foxes, bunnies and mushrooms	Woodland nurseries, playrooms

A sleepy owl shape beside the crib suits a nursery with a woodland theme, while a snowy owl in white and grey suits a calm grown-up bedroom.

Remarkable owl facts

Owls are full of fascinating surprises. They can turn their heads about 270 degrees, because their large, tube-shaped eyes can't move in their sockets the way ours do. Special soft-edged feathers let them fly almost silently, so their prey never hears them coming. There are more than two hundred species around the world, from the tiny elf owl of the American Southwest to the great horned owl and the snowy owl of the Arctic. A barn owl's heart-shaped face works like a satellite dish, funneling sound to its ears. An owl rug is a lovely starting point for sharing facts like these with a curious child at bedtime.

A woodland nursery

Owls are a favorite in woodland nurseries, alongside foxes, bunnies and deer among trees and mushrooms. A soft owl rug in grey, cream and sage, or in warm browns and rust, makes a calm, cozy room. Choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m², for tummy time; once your child is walking on a smooth floor, switch to Standard: 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m². For more woodland friends, see our fox rugs, bunny rugs and mushroom rugs, and our kids and nursery rugs.

Sleepy owls

A round, sleepy owl with half-closed eyes is the perfect bedtime companion. Cut to its own outline, a sleepy owl rug beside a crib or a bed feels like a little friend quietly keeping watch through the night. Our shaped rugs come in sizes from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm).

Owls and the night sky

Owls truly belong to the night, and a design with owls perched on a branch beneath a crescent moon and a scatter of stars is a calm, dreamy rug for a nursery or a bedroom. It pairs beautifully with a starry mobile above the crib and a soft, warm night light. For more night-sky designs, see our celestial rugs.

Owls and wisdom

In ancient Greece, the little owl was the companion of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and it has been a symbol of knowledge ever since. An owl rug makes a thoughtful graduation gift, a fitting rug for a study, a library or a homeschool corner, and a fun choice for a teacher's classroom. For more, see our classroom rugs.

Snowy and barn owls

The snowy owl, pure white with dark flecks, makes an elegant, calm rug in white, silver and pale blue, perfect for a minimalist bedroom or a winter-themed room. The barn owl, with its heart-shaped face and soft golden feathers, suits a farmhouse, a cabin or a cozy study with warm wood.

Reading nooks

An owl rug is a natural fit for a reading corner: a round owl face rug, a floor cushion, a low shelf of books and a soft lamp. Choose Premium for this, soft enough to sit on for a long, cozy story. Our round rugs page shows each size in a room.

Kids' rooms and playrooms

For older children, a busy woodland owl family scene makes a really great play rug for toy animals, and a big-eyed cartoon owl makes a friendly bedroom rug. On a hard floor, choose Standard so the rug stays put. Our kids play rugs page has more ideas.

Boho owls

Owls were a favorite motif of 1970s bohemian decor, in macramé wall hangings and ceramic figurines. A boho owl rug in mustard, rust, teal and cream brings back that warm, nostalgic retro feel, perfect for a bedroom with plants, rattan and woven textures. For more from the era, see our retro rugs.

Owls in stories and poems

Owls have flown through children's stories for generations. In Edward Lear's much-loved nonsense poem The Owl and the Pussy-cat, from 1871, the two friends go to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat and dance by the light of the moon. A storybook owl rug, with a little boat, a moon and the sea, is a charming nursery design with a poem to read alongside it.

Bedrooms and studies

A realistic owl, its patterned feathers and golden eyes in fine detail, makes an elegant rug for a grown-up bedroom, a library or a study lined with books. It suits warm wood, leather chairs and a reading lamp. For the softest feel underfoot, choose Premium. Our bedroom rugs page has more layouts.

Hallways and entryways

Just inside the front door, an owl rug makes a wise, friendly welcome; keep it indoors, out of the weather. Down a hallway, a custom runner with a row of owls perched along a branch is a playful touch. Choose Standard for both, for its grip on hard floors.

Autumn and Halloween owls

Owls are a classic autumn and Halloween motif, perched beside pumpkins under a harvest moon. An owl with autumn leaves makes a cozy seasonal rug from September through Thanksgiving. For more spooky-season designs, see our Halloween rugs.

Bathrooms

A little owl rug by a kids' bathroom vanity is a cheerful touch. It's a printed velvet rug, not a quick-drying bath mat, so keep it by the vanity or the door, out of the splash zone, and choose Standard for its grip on tiles.

Twins and siblings

For twins or siblings sharing a room, a pair of little owls side by side on a branch is a sweet, matching design, or two sleepy owl rugs, one beside each bed.

Baby showers and gifts

An owl rug is a lovely baby shower gift, gentle and washable, and a meaningful graduation or teacher gift thanks to the owl's link with wisdom. A sleepy owl shape is the safest choice for a nursery; a realistic owl portrait is the most elegant for an adult.

Colors

Owl designs look lovely in soft greys, sage and cream for calm nurseries; in rust, mustard and brown for warm woodland or boho rooms; and in navy and gold for a moonlit, starry look. A soft grey owl on cream is easily the most versatile choice for almost any room.

Pairing with furniture

Owl designs pair beautifully with natural wood, soft knitted throws, woven baskets and a few botanical or woodland prints. In a nursery, a white or pale wood crib, a sage or grey wall and a moon-shaped night light complete the look. In a study, add dark wood shelves, leather and brass for a scholarly feel.

Your own owl

Want an owl with your baby's name, a graduation owl with the year or a design in your nursery's colors? Our custom rugs can print it in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′, or cut it to shape. Custom rugs are made just for you and can't be returned, so please check names and spelling before ordering.

Standard or Premium

Standard is best for playrooms, classrooms, entryways and anywhere with a hard or slippery floor, because its non-slip back stays put. Premium is softer and warmer, best in nurseries, bedrooms and reading nooks. Both are printed the same way, so feathers stay detailed, and both go in the washing machine.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft. Round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across, and owl-shaped rugs from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm). Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so your owl stays wide-eyed and wise, wash after wash, year after year.

Owls of North America

North America is home to a remarkable variety of owls. The great horned owl, with its feathery ear tufts and deep, hooting call, is one of the most widespread, found from forests to cities. The barred owl, with soft brown stripes and dark eyes, is famous for a call that sounds like a question: who cooks for you, who cooks for you all? Its hoots often echo through swamps and woodlands at dusk.

Smaller owls bring their own charm. The eastern screech owl, barely the size of a soda can, has a trilling, whinny-like call and comes in gray or reddish forms. The northern saw-whet owl is even smaller, with a round face and bright yellow eyes, and the burrowing owl of the plains and deserts lives in underground burrows and is often active during the day, standing on long legs at the entrance.

Those species inspire rugs with real character. A great horned owl on a branch at twilight, its ear tufts silhouetted against the sky, suits a study or a cabin. A barred owl in soft browns and creams is a gentle choice for a woodland nursery, and a burrowing owl peeking from its hole makes a funny, endearing design for a child's room. A tiny saw-whet owl on a round rug is about as cute as a nursery design can get.

For birders, a rug of the owls from your own region, or a field-guide page with several species labeled, makes a thoughtful gift, especially for someone who heads out at night to listen for them.

Owl designs pair well with warm woods, plaid blankets, leafy greens and a reading lamp, the kind of room where an owl would happily watch from a shelf.

For families who hear owls at night, these designs also start conversations about wildlife: which owls live nearby, what their calls sound like and why they hunt in the dark.

A pair of binoculars on the windowsill nearby completes the birder's corner.