How to Make Loom Rugs

A woven rug can be a bright spot on a bare floor. Weaving a rug on a loom is a hobby full of tradition and history. Homemakers from ages past used old clothing torn into strips to make rugs for their floors. Years ago and still today, rug-making is an economical way to provide decor for your home.
A rug is a well-suited project for learning the art of weaving. Using a loom, one can weave a rug out of either rag strips or yarn. When finished, you will have a traditionally woven rug that can be proudly used and enjoyed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old clothes or rags torn into strips 3/4 inch long Rigid Heddle Loom Strong string for the warp Scissors Tape measure

Prepare the Loom

1. Prepare the warp. Cut warp threads to the length desired for the rug plus 10 inches. For a rug that will be 18 inches wide, 108 warp strings would be needed. To make a rug 24 inches wide, 144 strings would be needed.
   Look for notches on the front and back bar of the loom. This is where the warp is tied. Count these notches because this is the number of warp threads needed. The warp threads will be tied to the front bar.

2. Lay the threads out on a large surface for organizing and cutting. Keep them from tangling.

3. Thread the warp thread through the heddle after tying each warp thread to the front bar. The heddle has a slot for one thread and a hole for the next. The warp threads alternate back and forth between these slots and holes.

4. Tie the warp threads onto the back of the loom after being threading through the heddle. After tying all the warp threads, the back beam can be loosened and rolled to tighten the warp.

Weave the Rug

5. Wind the weft onto shuttles. The weft is the material you will be using to weave the rug. Change colors in the weft to create stripes. Tie the weft strips together as you weave.
   Raise or lower the heddle and slide the shuttle through the open area in the warp threads. When you raise the heddle, the strings go up and the strings in the slots stay still. When you lower the heddle the threads in the holes go down and the strings in the other slots stay still.

6. Push the shuttle through going back and forth. After each row push the weft down tightly against the preceding row to make the weaving tight.

7. Finish the rug and remove it from the loom by carefully cutting the warp strings from the front beam. Leave string to tie every other string together in a very tight double knot.

Tips & Warnings

• Strive for fabrics that are similar weights for even results.