How to make a rag rug
Posted by Sonja
August 1, 2008
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A while ago I posted about the rug me and my boyfriend made. Until I made this, my craft projects were always tiny. Now they will all be huge! So let’s go all Blue Peter-y and I’ll show you how to make your own rag rug!
:: Step one…
You will be requring some canvas. I’ve read you can use hessian, but I managed to find the last bit of proper rug canvas at Kentish Town’s marvellous Delicate Stitches shop. So try there first if you’re in London, or bug Liberty’s haberdashery department. Last time I checked they had stopped selling it due to lack of demand. Show them there is demand. Failing that, I like the Willow Fabrics website. They’re always helpful and they have a gazillion types of canvas (and yikes, I just noticed they’ve put their business up for sale! Somebody buy it! Please!).
I think mine is 3.3 hole per inch hooking rug canvas. But I wouldn’t be too picky – take what you can get! Bind the cut edges with masking tape, as shown above. Oh, and you’ll need a latch hook too, as seen in action below.
:: Step two…
Depending on the size you’re going for, you will need either a hell of a lot of fabric, or a shitload. Seriously these things EAT fabric. Get all the fabric. Cut it into strips (mine were about an inch by six inches, but you can experiment). Throw away your ruler after the first few, and just hold your finished strips up against your fabric and cut by eye.
You can use a random mix of colours, or do stripes and patterns. Probably a good idea to draw any patterns out on the canvas first.
:: Step three…
This is where the hooker jokes come in. Push your hook down into the canvas, and up through the next hole. Place a fabric strip inside the hook part. Now pull the hook out, back the way it came. It will close on the fabric and bring it through. Viola! A tuft!
:: Step four…
Carry on hooking and you’ll start to develop a patch of rug. Find something good on tv. Clear your diary. Keep going. It will turn into a rug.
:: Step five…
The finishing step is to sew over the masking-taped edges with some ribbon or long fabric strip, to give it a nice soft edge (I used the long seams left over from a big sheet I’d cut up).
And that’s it! You’re a rag doll!
12 comments Categories: craft, tutorial
August 1st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Great post Sonja! I hope someone is inspired. I would be, but I know how long this took you! It ws worth it though.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
I understand why my grandma used making rag rugs to keep my mum and her sister occupied during the summer holidays!
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Oh wow, do they all stay in okay even though you don’t knot them? I’d love to try this, but I’m notoriously bad at finishing things…. one day though! I absolutely loved your rug, I’d love to have one of my own :)
Thanks for the tutorial! :)
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Hey Em,
Yes, the miracle is that they do all stay in! A few of the more slippery fabrics I used have slunk out of their holes, but 99% of them stay in – being bunched so close together, they can’t move.
I’m thinking of trying a rag cushion cover next, which should take a lot less time!
x
January 30th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I’ve been searching internet for 2 days to find out how to make this type of rug. Thanks you so much!!!
May 31st, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Brilliant- I intend to give this a try, it looks like the greatest fun since crochet! I believe the Dunkirk spirit that we are now adopting in these difficult economic times means everyone in the UK is currently making rag rugs… I tried John Lewis for a hook, but they’d sold out. Still, they are opening a JL in Cardiff soon (hoorah!!) so let’s hope they’ve hooks galore and plenty of canvas.
July 16th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Fab! Just what I was looking for! I’ll be setting my class onto this project from September onwards- can’t wait to get going on it as part of our topic.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Hi. Have my great aunts rag rug frame. what do i do with that???
Do you pull more than one strand thru each hole – i.e. pack it full?
October 19th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Thankyou so much for the rug making instructions, I tried the craft shops in my home town, they had no idea how to make them.
I am now looking forward to getting my rug materals together and getting started, will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
fantastic site found this will googling rag rugs so easy to follow and understand i will be having ago at one my self as soon as i have the bits i need ;))) your rugs look awesome
February 7th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Thank you so much for publishing these instructions, so sad crafting skills seem to be going out of fashion, I will be staring a rag rug as soon as the canvas arrives!!
February 20th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Fab instructions. Went to local Jumble Sale today – got 2 large bags of different matterial for £4 – great. C & H sell hessian at £1.99 per metre.