Rag Rugs Tutorial — Crafting Communities

Knotted Rag Rugs

Tutorial created by Vanessa Warne and Andrea Korda

Online tutorial created by Priscilla Adebanji

A rag rug in the Log Hut at the Camrose and District Centennial Museum in Camrose, Alberta

In Victorian England, the rags collected for rug making could be dyed new colours and taken to a weaver who would create a woven rug for a price. If a family did not have the means to have a new rug woven, rag rugs could be made at home by sewing the rags into a long strip (often rolled into a ball for convenience) that the maker would use to knit, crotchet, or braid a circular rug. In this tutorial, we show you how to make a knotted rag rug, which is sometimes called a toothbrush rug because makers would reuse the wooden handle of a toothbrush to create a large wooden needle that could be used to make this rug. This technique for making a rag rug does not require any sewing.

You will need

Rags (old sheets are ideal for the long fabric strips required for this rug)

Scissors
Ruler (optional, to measure width of fabric strips)
For Instructors: Visit our Crafting in the Classroom page for further resources

Green fabric, scissors, measuring tape and ruler

Tear the fabric into strips

Use scissors to create cuts that are one to two inches apart along the edge of the fabric.
Starting from the cuts, rip the fabric down its entire length to create strips. (Though you can use scissors, tearing by hand will be faster and will result in straight edges.)
Optional: You can use a ruler to make strips that are all the same width, but variations in size are fine too so feel free to eyeball it.

Measuring and cutting along the edge of the fabric

Ripping the fabric

Attach the first two pieces of fabric

Choose two strips of fabric to begin your rag rug. We recommend choosing two different colours or patterns. One will be the "spine" and one will be your "working fabric." and having different colours or patterns will make it easier to distinguish between them.

Fold the end of each strip about an inch or two away from the end. Then use your scissors to cut a line through the fold to create a small hole (like a buttonhole).
Pull the end of one fabric strip (we'll call this strip A) through the hole in the other fabric strip (we'll call this strip B), and then take the other end of strip A and bring it through the hole of strip A.
Pull tight to create a knot.

A small hole at the end of one fabric strip

Two pieces of fabric knotted together

Create starter loops

One strip of fabric acts as the rug's spine; the other strip is your working fabric. Begin by pulling the spine taut. (You can do this and still keep your hands free by using your foot to step on the strip and hold it in place.)

Use your working fabric and spine to create the shape of the number 4, with the spine acting as the straight line, and the working fabric creating a triangular shape and crossing over the spine.
Keep your index finger in the opening created between the two pieces of fabric (in the triangle created by the working fabric), and then bring the end of your working fabric through the opening to create a loose knot, keeping your finger in place.
Repeat with the remaining three fingers on your hand to create 4 loops. You can then remove your fingers, leaving four loops with which to begin your rug.
Place your four loops flat and then pull together the first and last loop to create a circle.

Knot your way around the circle

Form a circle with your four starter loops by bringing the first and last loop together.
Arrange your fabric so that the spine crosses over the loose working fabric and starts to curve around the circle you have just created. (Note that this piece of fabric serves as the spiralling spine of the rug.)
Take the end of your working fabric and, pointing downwards (away from you), put it through the opening of your first loop to create a knot around the loop and the spine. (So you are threading the working fabric through the starter loop and then back through the opening created by the working fabric, making sure to catch the spine in the knot.)
Repeat this process on the second loop to create another knot, once again catching the spine so that it continues to make its way around the circle.
Because your circle is growing, you will need to add additional loops along the way to create a flat circle. This is demonstrated in the next video, which also shows how to add on to your fabric strips.
TIP: At the end of this step, your rug will likely look like a knotted mess. Keep going! It starts to look like the beginnings of a rug after about the third or fourth time around.

Adding on to your rug

When you approach the end of a fabric strip, you can add more fabric using knots (instead of thread and needle). Create a cut slit at the end of your fabric strip (we'll call this strip A), and pull a new fabric strip (we'll call this strip B) through the hole. Then cut a slit at the end of strip B, and pull the opposite end of strip B through strip B's slit. Pull tight.

As you move around the circle, you will need to add some additional knots per loop to keep your rug flat (instead of one knot for each one loop). In the video included here, the maker uses one open loop to create two knots after adding an additional fabric strip.
Keep going until you are happy with the size of your rug. To finish your rug, make a knot, cut the ends—but not too short in case you decide to add more later—and then weave the ends through the rug to keep them hidden.
Tip: How many additional knots you add will depend on your material and on how tight or loose you make your knots. We suggest working on a flat surface and adding loops as needed to ensure that your rug stays flat.
Tip: If there are not enough additional loops added to account for the growing size of the circle, or if knots are pulled too tight, you will end up with a bowl instead of a rug. Though we have seen some wonderful bowls, so feel free to experiment with this!

Experiment with different colours and patterns as you grow your rug!

Creating the second of four starter loops by creating the shape of the number four around a second finger

The beginning stages of a rag rug with a green spine and blue, yellow, and white striped working fabric

The start of a rag rug with a light blue spine and floral working fabric, placed next to a Crafting Communities sticker

Forming a circle and finding the loop for the first knot

For Instructors: Visit our Crafting in the Classroom page for information on embodied learning, or click here for further resources about this craft.