How to Make a Rug From Rags
Rag rugs were at one time a popular way to use old, discarded clothing, linens and other fabric materials. Making a woven rug from rags is not difficult but does take advance preparation. You should plan to spend at least a weekend, or longer, to create a rag rug for your home. Once completed, the rug can be washed and dried as needed to keep it clean.
Things You'll Need
- Scissors
- Rag strips
- Needle
- Thread
- Tack Nails
- Small Hammer
- Plywood sheet (or heavy cardboard)
Instructions
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1
Create your rag strips by cutting the rags into 1-inch strips. For a 2-by-2 foot rug, you will need rag strips 26 inches long, so you may have to sew some strips end to end to achieve that length. Use a needle and thread to sew the strips.
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2
Lay out the first strip lengthwise on a 4-by-4 foot piece of plywood or a piece of heavy cardboard.
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3
Use the tack hammer and tack nails to hold the strip in place on each end.
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4
Lay the next rag strip touching the first and tack in place.
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5
Continue laying the strips and tacking them until the desired height of the rug is achieved.
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6
Take a rag strip and work it vertically into the tacked strips about 1 inch from the end. Weave the strip over the first strip and under the second, over the third and so forth until the strip is woven into the rug.
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7
Do the same with the next strip only starting under the first strip and over the second and so on until woven.
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8
Continue alternating weaving rag strips into the rug until you reach a point about 1 inch from the side edge.
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9
Use a needle and thread to sew the outside perimeter of the rug so that the weaving does not come apart when the rug is untacked, moved or washed.
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10
Gently remove the tacks from the rug. Place the rug where needed.
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Tips & Warnings
By starting the weaving 1 inch from the end, you will have a sort of fringe all around your rag rug. Almost any type of fabric will work for a rag rug, but spandex and spandex blends will curl more than other fabrics.
