Rags for Rugs

Rag- noun A piece of old cloth, especially something torn  from a larger piece.

Sheets, clothing and towels all wear out over time, like everything else, but should they be doomed to the dump. To hang around forever at a landfill, taking up space, just for a worn spot or a hole? Of course not! They can find a new life in your home with just a bit of time and ingenuity .

Rag rugs can be sewn, braided, woven, crocheted or worked like a latch hook for a fluffier style. The patterns, shapes and styles are limited only by your imagination. I'll give you some ideas on each kind and then the rest is up to you as to what will find it's way into your home.

Sewn Rag Rugs- The majority of this sort of rug is done with strips of cloth, sewn together to make large strips that are then rolled or coiled in a circle and then the coils are stitched to the coil next to it. This produces a round or oval shaped rug and by design is very sturdy and colorful. When deciding on this style rug you can either coil the strips of fabric, which would give you a thinner rug or you could coil the fabric over either cotton piping or a rope, which would make the rug a bit studier.

The Ric Rac Blog has a great tutorial on sewn rugs, this one is done over a rope and doesn't require the strips to be sewn together before hand. 

Braided Rugs- This is the same concept as a sewn or coiled rug except in the fact that the rug strips are braided into a long strip and then coiled. This enables the rug to have a bit more texture and is can be used in a higher traffic area, since they are a heavier option.
Marissa from Little House Living shows how to create your own Braided Rag Rug with a great how to on a very sturdy non sewn join.



Woven Rugs also use the sewn strip method but instead of a continuous roll the strips are a certain length.  Longer strips will be placed in the loom for the length and then shorter stips will be woven in an under /over pattern to join the lengthwise strips together.  Due to the weaving process these will generally be rectangular in shape but can have various thicknesses and textures depending on the processes used. You don't always have to have a loom to make a woven rug, check out Laura's option on A Beautiful Mess. She has taken weaving to a new but simple level and ends up with a truly neat project you can recreate in your home.

via Abeautifulmess

Crochet or knitted rugs, just like it sounds, strips of fabric are crocheted or knitted just like you would yarn. This enables the rug to take on many shapes or patterns. Often used for more artful pieces.

Not what you typically think of when you think rag rug! Instructions for this version can be found on 

Meg Made With Love

She used sheets and gives all the details on how to create one yourself!

Latch hook fabric rugs are a lot like the latch hook kits so popular in years gone by. They use a backing and small strips of fabric which are left open on the top to give the rug a fluffy appearance. I would imagine this would be appropriate for a bedroom or a less traveled area but what a cute idea! As with all rag rugs the colors are very customizable.

 Jamie At Everyday Art created this rag rug for her daughters and has a very detailed and easy to follow instructions on her blog. These remind me of the shag carpet I had as a child! Ugg that might be giving away my age!

Rag rugs can be made out of most kinds of fabrics, sheets, or even denim. Don't have any extra scraps, shirts or jeans laying around? Check out goodwill, they normally have big bins of linens in all colors and at very good prices. You'll often put more time than money into a rag rug, but when you're keeping the materials out of the landfill that's a bonus.Then add the fact that you'll end up with a creation of your very own style, that makes it all worthwhile!

Thanks for playing along with me in the A to Z Challenge, there is a large group of very talented people who are also blogging the alphabet this month and you should check them out too. There are daily letter lists and the original list that can be stored by content or by theme. But whatever you do please be sure to check back tomorrow for my next installment, which includes a travel item being upcycled for your home.