Thank you for all the great feedback for liking my Braided Rag Rug. I understand that not everyone has a sewing machine or/and able to sew, so I created this no-sew version for the non-sewer who like to recycle their bed sheets or de-stash their fabrics to make this foot cozy Woven Rag Rug. This woven rag rug tutorial doesn’t require any loom for weaving; just use a sturdy corrugated carton box from your recycle pile.
I hope everyone can do their part in greening the Earth again and reduce the rubbish that loaded the landfill, turn trash into gold. By the way, I gave the braided rag rug to my mum and she loves it so much, she is going to dig more old bedsheets out from her storage, which means I will have another bunch of supply to recycle. I need to scratch my head for more stuff to make from them. 🙂
I love the way the mixture of colors presented in this woven rag rug, I didn’t make it on purpose but just to randomly gather color strips.
Let your feet feel cozy and warm with this thick soft Woven Rag Rug.
Woven Rag Rug
Material
1. Old bedsheets (3 king-size flat sheets, more if you have fitted sheet)
2. Sturdy corrugated cardboard of your preferred size (mine is 28 x 20″)
3. Tapestry needle or masking tape
5. Scissor
Finished dimension: approximately 25″ x 14″
You might want to refer to the braided rag rug for some basic preparations for stripping and how to join the strips.
Mark the short side of the cardboard 1/2″ apart and 2″ down. Leave the edge 2″ wide so that the cardboard is not being weakened at the edge.
Cut it to create slots for gripping the fabric strips.
Cut or tear the old sheets into 1″ or 2″ strips. Arrange 12 or 6 strips into each slot, leaving 6″ extra for each end.
Alternate the colors between the slots to create some color patterns for the woven rag rug. You will be surprised how it turns out.
Reserve some strips for the weaving.
Take a strip and slot it into the eye of a tapestry needle and start weaving.
If you don’t have a tapestry needle, you can tape a masking tape the end of the weaving strip, this will make it easier to go through the warp strips.
Secure the tail end in the first slot.
Begin by passing through the weaving strip at the bottom of the first bunch, then on top for the second bunch, and bottom again for the 3rd bunch and so on…
Until you reach the last bunch, rotate the cardboard and continue weaving for the next row. If you ended the weaving strip at the bottom of the last bunch, then begin your second row at the top.
Since there are 12 strips in a slot, make sure you have all the strips weaved.
Pull the bunch vertically a little to straighten up the 12 strips as you go.
Repeat this until you complete the whole piece.
Weave the last row in close to the previous row, with needle up or down to make a crisscross to the previous strip, pull the weaving strip and tie the warp strips in place.
Do the same on the other end of the rag. Join a new strip to sew and tie.
Hide the weaving strip in the warp strips by passing through the strip within the weaves.
Take the woven rag rug out from the cardboard by lifting all the strips from the slots.
Trim the end to the length of bout 4″ or to your preference.
The woven rag rug is completed.
I love this rug but I am confused about the warp strip …. do I tie it off at the beginning of the warping process? Am I tying off each row of rags where they meet the cardboard? i am just not getting that part. Hopefully this blog isnt too old for responses. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks
I love this rug but found the directions left me with a few questions too. I haven’t tried to make one yet but found this video tutorial and thought it might help you. Good luck !! https://www.ehow.com/13664144/weave-rugs-using-fabric-scraps-tutorial
I would love to see a video of how to make this. I learn better by seeing it being made. That’s just me.
Did you notch both ends of cardboard or just one with loose hanging tails?
thanks.
Hey! I wanted to thank you for your tut! I knew I wanted to make a rag rug but not a traditional one and yours was the trick!!
I modified the ends by sewing some burlap on in a quilt binding sort of method because I didnt want fringe but I think it will make it sturdier!!
I only used 6 strands per section
I made mine 30×45 inches.
I think what people in this comments section are missing is the distance between horizontal weaves. Dont put them so close together! Just weave and put them somewhat close together then they will have that “diamond” look. I just measured and mine are an average of 1.5 inches apart using 6 strands. I would adjust to wider if more strands are used. Meh, dont stress, let the rug dictate how far apart they are.
I cannot post a picture here but here’s one on my facebook hopefully you can see it and I dont get kicked out of here for thinking im spam…LOL :
Ohhh and I didnt use cardboard because I didnt have any but I had these things I use for blocking my knitting/crochet so I used them like this.
Hi there, I really could use some help. I’ve weaved my rug to the end and have no idea how to finish the rug off. I’ve read through the instructions several times and I also read through 2 pages worth of comments but I’m still not able to figure it out. Could you kindly clarify? Thanks so much!
Hi Heather,
After you have weaved your rug till the end, use your weaving strip to “tie” the warp strips, a bunch at a time.
Hope this helps.
how many strips do I need to leave for the weave strip? I’m actually not using sheets b/c I have various pieces of left over material. But, if you could tell me how many king size strips you used for the weave strip, I could figure out the length I need. Thanks!
Hi deedee,
I didn’t calculate how many strips I have used as the weaver strip. Base on this size of the rug, I would estimate that the strip is about 12 yards long. As it is only an estimation, please allow more to be on the safe side.
Happy making!!!
Hello! About to take on this project and wondering what size cardboard I should cut, since I’m hoping to make a rug about 54 x 42?
Thank you for the awesome tutorial!!
Hi Anne,
As you may have read that my cardboard is about 28 x 20″ and the finished rag rug is about 25″ x 14″, thus, if you want to have a finished size of 54″ x 42″, you will need roughly 60″ x 60″ of cardboard. It is huge and I am not sure of you can find this cardboard easily. What I have in mind is that you could probably adapt the method of weaving but instead on the cardboard, you can do it on balcony railing, just a suggestion.
The rug is GORGEOUS, and much easier looking than the braided & sewn ones I’ve seen… but I’m a bit dense, so bear with me.
1. I’m weaving ONE strip of fabric through bunches of 6-12 strips of fabric. Just weaving through the ENTIRE bunch of fabric strips, not individual ones, right?
2. When my weaving strip reaches the end of the row, do I just leave them there and then tie them together (to each other, 2×2?) once ALL the weaving strips are used? Then tuck the ends in?
3. Why does your rug seem to show so many different patterns even within a single row (column?)? It’s so pretty that way, but I can’t figure out how the individual strips that are bunched together flip around to make those pattern changes. Does it just happen of its own accord?
4. Have you tried using mostly plain sheets for the bottom of the 6 or 12-strip bunches, with mostly patterned sheets as the top 2 strips? (Plain are so much easier to find at thrift stores). Does that work as well?
5. Do you think –to make a longer rug– I could knot 2 strips together in the middle, or would it make the rug have a giant lump part way through? (This might be where actual sewing is required… yeuch.)
Thanks – I’m so jazzed to try this as a summer project with my daughter!
Here is the answers for your questions:
When come to the end of a strip and need an extension extension, fold the end of the strip at about 1 -1.5″ from the edge, make a small slit vertically. Do the same to the new strip.
Put the new strip on top of the existing and pass the tail end through the slit holes.
Gently pull the strip until is goes all the way to the other side. The end of the existing strip goes through it as well.
1. Yes, weave through the whole bunch of strips.
2. Keep on weaving to make the next row when you reach the end of the row. Join the weaving strip with a new strip and continue to weave until you have finished the entire rug.
3. I used 3 different patterns of sheets and mixed them up within the bunches, it just came out with this pattern.
4. I haven’t tried it with plain sheets so I am not sure how it will turn out.
5. You will get lumps provided you knot is as the following method (I showed this in Braided Rag Rug tutorial):
Tug it a little to tighten up the joint.
And space out the knots so that they are not all in one spot.
Hope I have explained your questions. If you need further clarification, please feel free to ask again.
Thank you.
I made this rug and I think I followed how to do it correctly but mine came out looking like squares instead of diamond shaped in the weave,, Please tell me what I did wrong because although mine looks ok your is beautiful and I would love for mine to come out like yours 🙁
Hi Karen,
Probably you are pulling the bunch of fabrics too tight or you aren’t pulling the weaving strip tight enough.
Hope this helps.
Video would be awesome!
I know but may be later, thanks for suggesting!!!
would it be possible to do a ‘tutorial’ on this via youtube? I am just having a hard time understanding your instructions….i learn better when someone shows me. Thanks, just an idea.
I am making my second rug following this method. My first one turned out very well.
A couple of helpful hints or suggestions from my experience:
1. My loom was made from the top of a large box…I did not cut the sides off the lid and so my loom sits 6 inches above the floor (or table)..it lends strength to the loom. It was a box for a workbench.
2.Instead of cutting 1 inch strips for the warp (last rug I cut/tore 400 strips!) …. I cut/tore strips that were 8 or 9 inches wide and (only had to use 50) and each strip has bunched together quite nicely to make a cushy rug!….It is easy to weave because there is only one bunch of material to go underneath, so you don’t risk missing any of the warp strips.
love my rug!!
Margie, thanks for the update and the tips, it is very helpful!!!