Happy Labor Day! For a fun change of pace today, I have the cute girls from Everyday Art here to show us How to Make a Rag Rug tutorial. I love their super easy technique! This is definitely a great craft for fabric scraps. {don’t ya love scrap busters?} enjoy! -Linda
How to Make a Rag Rug Tutorial
Hi, my name is Jaime and my sister-in-law Emily and I are craftaholics. :)
We like to share our creations on our blog, Everyday Art because we think that everyone likes to create a little art everyday.
We’re excited to be here at Craftaholics Anonymous today sharing one of our recent projects.
Introducing, the Pink-and-Blue Rag Rug:
And I must say, phew!, what a long, loooong time this project took me! Many hours sitting watching shows/listening to audio books while working on this puppy. But, I have to say, even knowing how many hours (days, weeks, months) I’ve put into this, I’m so pleased with how it turned out. I love it. :)
We recently moved and I put my two oldest girls in a shared bedroom. One loves blue, the other pink. So what to do but make a pretty blue-and-pink room for them? After completing the blue-and-pink quilts for their bunk beds, painting the walls blue, and hanging pink curtains, I tackled the rag rug as my next project.
As you can see, it turned out cute, coordinating, and much loved by the two girls.
The rug really was simple to make, just time-consuming. Basically, I used strips of fabric (1000s of them) cut about 1 inch x 5 inches. I stuffed these strips into an old non-skid rug mat and voila! No need to even bother tying the strips.
You can see the rug mat in this image and about how often I skipped holes. Obviously, I certainly could have made it more full by skipping less holes, but there really wasn’t a need to make it any more full. I used leftover fabric from their quilts plus other scraps and purchased fabrics.
The rug has been in the girls’ room for about 2 weeks now and it easily fluffs up with a little shake and appears to be holding up well. With projects like this, the personalizing possibilities are truly endless–any color scheme would be fun.
Ready to make one yourself?
Rag Rug Tutorial
Here’s an image-tutorial on how to make a rag rug:
I hope your rug goes well! I think this was one of my all-time-favorite handmade items.
We also like to express our everyday art in the yummy food we cook and have lots of other fun ideas and tutorials
Thanks Linda for having us. :)
Lots of love from the gals at Everyday Art!
Thanks for sharing your adorable rug with us, Emily and Jaime! Make sure to stop by their blog and say hi. If you haven’t entered the $50 My Direct Vinyl giveaway, run over and do it now!
happy crafting,
linda
About Linda@CraftaholicsAnonymous
I love this idea, of making a rag rug. Do you have any other ideas, to make rag rugs ? Just asking. Keep up the good work.
Kaci, 52 yrs.old.
This is such an AWESOME idea! I was going to settle with buying a fuschia braided rug at Target for $70, until I saw this. ($70 to me, is way too much for a little girl– especially when I picture it three days later in her room, wondering where an eventual spot on it, came from– you know?) This would be so much cheaper– and you can customize the colors to match the bedroom. I am so going to try this! Thank you! :)
I made a similar rug, and knitted the backing with cotton yarn. I just added polar fleece pieces as I knit. It would be washable and not fray.
Just curious could I use old baby clothes? That way its a little sentimental? Kind of like an easy one of those shirt quilts people make?
I am going to try this project, but I am going to try it with old shirts and clothes that don’t fit my daughter anymore, or that didnt sell at our yard sale,and that were too worn or stained to give away :-)
Where did you find the rug mat?
I am actually making one right now made out of fleece for a kitchen rug. It does take a
Long time to make it and thousands of pieces of fleece but I am really amazed at how it is turning out. I am tying mine after I pull them through and I am doing there rows then skipping two rows. I am also doing a black fleece border as well and it looks really pretty
Is it neccessary to tie the knots? Is it possible to wash this rug with or without the knots?
Hi just lurving all your fab crafts – I may never make more than one or two – but I enjoy them all :) Thanks for sharing x regards
I am also a crafter, this rug would look beautiful done in the American Flag, if you are an Americana decor person. The possibilities are endless.
Hi Linda,
Your rag rug is just beautiful. Here’s a tip you may enjoy for the next one (it’ll be quicker and easier on your fingers, too): when I made mine, which were wall-hanging size, I cut long strips – using old T-shirts, old pyjamas, etc – I used a kind of rug hook to pull them through (not with a latch on it, though, more like a glorified, large crochet hook only with a thick handle). I kept going until I had pulled all of one strip through and then began the next. It worked perfectly.
I would love to make that Rag Rug. I am always looking for good ideas and this is really a good one. Thank you so much!!! Happy crafting!!
This is a really old craft and they used to use burlap bags for the base and a nail to make the holes as you work the project. The fabric was old rags torn into strips and they were knotted. I like you version cause, well who gets anything in a burlap sack these days? Very pretty rug, kiddo.
Can you use any kind of fabric or what kind of fabric did you use? I think I am going to attempt to make one for my sons room! Thank you for the tutorial!!!
Was wondering….I have a huge plastic needle that I used for making cloth baskets. Is there any reason I could not use long lengths, loop them, and then cut. That would save some massive time if it would work, but I guess it’s worth a try….Love the idea!
Hi , I love the rug , But I’m one also want to know were to get the rug mat? do you get them at a craft store or from a carpet place .
Hi Anita,
The rug liner that she used can be found at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and other home goods store. Thanks for stopping by!
happy crafting,
Linda
I have seen these rug mats at Dollar Tree.
I mean the liners that go underneath to keep a rug from slipping.
i love this rag rug, thanks!
I REALLY love this rug… thank you so much for the wonderful ideas!
I see you dont tie it once its through, ( right ?) and can the rug be washed, I really like this and want to try it
I am not at all a crafty person, but this looks so simple and super cute! In fact, crafts scare me, since I am so un-artsy! But, I work a job where I literally sit for 8 hours, at a non-productive pace, so tonight, I have the backing and 6 different pieces of fabric I’m going to cut-up! Thanks for sharing this!
Wondering why you couldn’t wash it gentle cycle on machine and NOT spin it (it would make the washer unbalanced) then lay it over plastic chair/fence etc to dry?
Also for ‘uncrafty’ people there are Rotary Cutters (they look like a pizza cutter) that used with a special mat would make the cutting of all the strips so much easier and faster
For those that want to make a bigger rug just get the rugs and sew them together..i made a huge rug about 6 ft by 4 ft for my daughters room,its easy to just attach them together to make a bigger rug!! it took me about a month to make this rug and working on it about 4 hrs a day!! good luck it is awesome when it is done!!
its cute, im making one now but do you wash it? or clean it? and if you do how?
did you get an answer on this? I made one but not sure how to wash it…by hand? that is then alot of work.
Hi Jennie,
You’ll want to washi it by hand and lay flat to dry.
thanks!
Linda
thanks for the info, i’m almost finished with mine! i made it with cotton flannel and its sooooo soft and full i love it!
How easy and adorable, I already have my backing. I am decorating my sun room in beach colors so I am getting excited to get started. Thank you
do you just cut the fabric strips with normal scissors or would pinking shears be better? I thought they may fray otherwise
Hi Emily & Jaime
This reminds me of a rug I made many years ago but using thick wool instead. I’m sure you could use a thick crochet hook as well. I am definately going to give this a try, it looks awesome.
Kind regards
Lia Mole
Hi, I have doubt, when you stuffed these strips into an non-skid rug, these were knotted??
Love your work!
Thank so much for sharing. I love love love this rug!
SOOOOOOOO in love with this! EXACTLY what I’m looking for! Thank you!!
Hi Linda – Question? Can the rag rug be laundered? Thanks.
Oh My what a wonderful idea!! Can’t believe I did not think of this – love it and can’t wait to make one too! Thank you for sharing!
How do you wash these? thanks
I think I would put it in a king size pillow cover with a zipper and run it on the delicate cycle in the washer.
I like your idea for the rag rug.
I’m thinking of making these as beds for my dogs. Do they wash well and does the material frey?
I just saw your project, it looks great. i would like to give you a couple of hints. Leave several inches of backing unused around the rug to turn under and stitch down to keep it from fraying. You can get rug binding to put around the edge. You can also get a liquid rubber backing to put on the back that will harden and keep it from sliding.
I have made these rugs before and I found these things helped keep the rug usable much longer.
Happy crafting!
I’m totally going to make this! Thanks so much!
love your board i will be making that rag rug
every things
It looks like you ‘threaded’ the fabric through by hand and am wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to use a rug hook. Good ideas here
can you tell me please when you started the rug, if the peices looked like they would not stand up…. my are just all falling tot he side and look kinda sad :(…