How to Make Persian Rug Designs

You can make a Persian rug design for a traditionally woven and knotted Persian style rug or apply the beauty of Persian rug design in any number of art or craft projects from embroidery to stained glass to tiling. You'll use the same principles in making the Persian design whatever the medium. Familiarize yourself with traditional Persian rug design patterns and motifs before you draw out a design.

Things You'll Need

• Persian rug shop
• Photos of Persian rugs
• Drawing paper
• Colored pencils
• Graph paper

Instructions

1. Study Persian rug design. Survey actual rugs in nearby shops when possible and look at photos of Persian rugs in books or on websites such as Pak Persian Rugs. You'll find Persian rug designs categorized commonly by patterns called "rectilinear" (based on angular or geometric lines), "curvilinear" (based on curved or rounded lines) or a combination of both. Note that most Persian rug designs are symmetrical, usually with a medallion at the center and repeating motifs in scattered or connected patterns on the main field and surrounding borders.

2. Learn to recognize some of the most common motifs in Persian rug design. You'll see geometric patterns of diamonds, squares, triangles, hexagons, stars, combs, crosses and stripes, as well as curvilinear representations of trees (a tree of life shows a combination of birds, chickens, fish, fruit and/or flowers hanging from the branches as well as leaves), jugs, flower-filled vases, leaves, flowers, fruit, entwined fish, paisley, dogs and flames, and composites of both geometric and curvilinear motifs in the field and borders of Persian rugs.

3. Consider the materials and colors you'll use for your Persian design project. Look at the space where you plan on displaying the project to decide on a good color fit. Match materials to the complexity of the project, using simpler designs for smaller, less intricate mediums.

4. Choose an existing Persian rug design and adapt it to a project, or create your own Persian design based on the traditional patterns and motifs you've studied. Draw the initial Persian design out on drawing paper with colored pencils. Make alterations and corrections as necessary. When you're satisfied, draw the design to scale on graph paper.

5. Take the drawings to the area where the Persian rug design project will be displayed. Check to ensure that the design matches the function and aesthetics of the area. Make any additional adjustments to the pattern or colors of the Persian design as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider using a section of the Persian rug design for inspiration rather than adapting the entire rug design.

• Think about creating two or more matching Persian design projects to display in the same area.

• Keep in mind that a traditional knotted Persian rug takes months or years to make.

• Estimate the time you'll put into the implementation of any Persian design before committing to the project.

References

• Through the Collector's Eye: Persian Rug Patterns
• Persian Carpet Export: Design
• Castle Oriental Rug Cleaning and Sales: Oriental Rug Designs

Resources

• Pak Persian Rugs
• Old Carpet