In the period since it was first used, weavers have experimented with a number of improvisations on the slit-weave technique. One such is dovetailing, in which two wefts of different colours return from opposite directions to the same warp, which forms a boundary between them. Another is double-locking, in which two wefts interlock and cover the slit between two evenly spaced warps. However, neither of these techniques is widely used. Besides the slit-weave, kilims are sometimes embellished with other techniques that help create complex patterns. In somak weaving, weft yarns are alternatingly wrapped over and under the warp yarns, giving rise to discontinuous, embroidery-like patterns. In brocading, extra weft is added to the surface of the rugs to create raised designs. Depending on the weaving technique used, kilims may feature geometric or fluid designs. For example, the slit-weave technique often produces diamond-shaped or triangular designs with cascading patterns, while the somak weaving technique creates continuous, flowing patterns. Decorative beads and silver, gold and silk threads are sometimes incorporated into the design. 

In Anatolia, where kilims were first produced, weavers would adapt forms from the natural world into abstract rectilinear motifs and patterns. Most kilims carry motifs pertaining to specific beliefs and myths and also serve as symbols of luck, fertility and power. Traditional kilims also feature motifs drawn from the immediate surroundings of the weaver, primarily domestic items such as kettles and combs, and natural imagery such as flora. In the aftermath of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, weavers in the country began depicting war apparatus on their kilims, in a trend that continued through the United States’ 2001 invasion of Afghanistan to the present. 

In South Asia, the modern-day states of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are known for kilim weaving. It was introduced in India through the imperial carpet-weaving workshops, or farrash-khanas, of the Mughal empire that flourished under the reign of Akbar (r. 1556–1605) in Agra, Delhi and Lahore. The carpets produced in these historic cities featured designs inspired by traditional Persian motifs and patterns, but use brighter colours. While it is not known when flatweaves such as the kilim emerged in Afghanistan, until the 1960s and 1970s, they were mostly woven by communities for their personal use and for local markets. Identified based on the region they were woven in or the name of the predominant tribal group involved in its weaving, some of the most renowned Afghani kilim varieties are — Turkomen, named after the Central Asian tribe; Labijar, derived from the four villages near the Darya Safidi River; Uzbeks, named after the community considered to be of Mongolian descent; Sar-i-Pul, named after a small town in the foothills of Tibandi Turkestan; Kazakh, named after the Turkic tribes in present-day Kazakhstan; Maimana, after the capital of the Faryab province; Aimaq, based on four Farsi-speaking tribes; Mushwani, after the Persian-speaking tribe of Pashtun ancestry; Baloch, from north-east Iran; and Mukkur Kutchi, named after the town between Kabul and Kandahar. 

Today, kilims made with synthetically dyed yarn are used not just as rugs and floor coverings but also for mule saddles, bags, upholstery, cushion covers and wall hangings. Antique kilims are held in the collections of numerous museums and galleries, including the Textile Museum, Washington DC; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul; and Sotheby’s Gallery, London.