Secrets of the No-Sew Rag Rug

by Tomato Lady on 11/04/2008

in Craft, Patterns

I thought that with all of the emphasis on recycling and reusing these days, a no-sew rag rug post would be more common. However, in my own internet research, I find that it’s something of a unicorn.

It follows the same principle that we all used in making those funny cotton loop potholders–under, over, under, over. See? You’ve already got 3/4ths of the technique.

No-Sew Homemade Rag Rug (Or trivet, potholder, centerpiece, place mat, what-have-you.)

1. Cut strips of fabric 1-3 inches wide and remove seams. I like three foot strips, but the length only matters for how often you want to be taking the time to join new strips.


2. Tie two strips in a simple loose knot. You’ll be trying to shove fabric through this later, so too tight and you might get aggravated. Also, notice that the pieces in the picture are UNEVEN. At the end of every strand, you’ll have to join a new one, and it looks better if that’s staggered.


3. If you want stripes like mine, arrange your strips so that they alternate A,B,A,B when you lay them flat. Then take the one on the right side and go under, over, under.

4. Continue taking each right-hand strand and going under, over, under (Notice that it’s not a TIGHT braid. Just snug enough to lay flat and hold it’s shape.)


5. When you get a braid about 1/2 the length of the rug you want, it’s time to turn. I went under, over, under with that gray strip and then turned it to the right so I could tuck it in the edge of the original braid.

Depending on your material, your rug may not want to lie flat if you turn it too quickly, so you may not get to tuck EVERY strand into the original braid. Sometimes you might have to skip tucking a couple so you can turn the corner smoothly.

6. Work your way back down to the starting knot following the exact same pattern as you used to make the original braid, just tucking the end through each time. (If you want the stripes, tuck it in it’s OWN color as you come around and down.)


7. Once you get back down to the original knot, and work your way around the curve, skipping and tucking as necessary to lay flat, it’s time to add a strip! To maintain the stripes, I joined one of each color together and stuck it through the starting knot in a way that kept the pattern. Then I continued braiding the same way I had been all along, but now it was under, over, under, over, under–>TUCK!

You can’t see, but there’s SIX strips now.
Important to keep an even number the whole way.

Intermission: WHEW, this is way harder to explain than it is to do! For another explanation, in fact the only other explanation I’ve seen on the whole internet, click here.

Let’s also pause to learn how to join (slip-knot) strips to each other:

Cut a hole in the ends of both strips you want to join. Shove the new on through the old one. Then push the tail end of the new strip through it’s own hole and tug until snug.

Back to our regularly scheduled tutorial…

8. Braid all of the way down to the end and back up the other side to the original knot. Add another strip where ever you can sneak it in to make eight strips.

9. Pick up that right-hand gray one, and go under, over, under, over, under, over, under, over, under–>TUCK!


9. Every time you work yourself back to the beginning knot, add another set of strips until you get the size rug you’re looking for.

10. Once the rug is the width you want it across
the middle, it’s time to work yourself back down to 8 strips, then 6, 4, 2, and finally none in a way that doesn’t throw off your overall shape. When I decreased in the picture, I went under, over, under, over, under–>TUCK–>TUCK AGAIN under two more blues horizontally—>snip off the excess. Continue until you run out of strands.


Ivory



{ 8 trackbacks }

Planting with a Newspaper Weed Blanket
06/03/2009 at 2:33 pm
No-Sew Rag Wrist Purse
06/03/2009 at 3:17 pm
7 Far Out Ways to Recycle | Little House in the Suburbs
06/08/2009 at 4:32 pm
Carpets Can Stink. So, Make Your Own! | Healthy and Green Living
11/12/2009 at 11:15 am
Tips for Moms, Activities for kids by Quirky Mommas » 101 Homeade Gift Ideas
11/26/2009 at 9:07 pm
Miraculous No-Sew Rag Bag
12/15/2009 at 11:05 am
Gift Tips With a Stylist Twist
01/19/2010 at 7:58 am
Start « knnrchn
01/26/2010 at 12:41 am

{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Stephanie 11/05/2008 at 1:52 pm

Great tutorial, but I think this is one I’m going to have to do to really get. Thanks!

2 Nothinglikeit 11/05/2008 at 5:13 pm

Very Cool! I have to try this!

Robin

3 DayPhoto 11/05/2008 at 10:15 pm

I like this! I have wanted to do this for a long time and here it is.

Which by the way do you have a recipe for pumpkin muffins using a spice box mix?

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

4 Ivory Soap 11/06/2008 at 1:06 pm

Ya know, I really don’t have a pumpkin muffin recipe. I’ll check with the MIL. Any great baking recipe I have comes from her. I’ll ask TL too.

Ivory

5 DayPhoto 11/06/2008 at 2:59 pm

Thank you! I just found a great pumpkin scone recipe, but not from a cake mix. :)

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

6 DayPhoto 11/06/2008 at 6:31 pm

I found one—see if you like it. I’m going to make some tonight.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins
INGREDIENTS
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.ccom

7 Nancy Ward 06/07/2009 at 5:34 pm

Hi!

Today I posted an entry on my blog with a link to your No Sew Rag Rug tutorial.

Would you let me know that’s OK?

Thanks,

Nancy Ward
http://paperfriendly.blogspot.com

8 ivorysoap76 06/10/2009 at 8:37 pm

@Nancy–Of course it’s fine!!! We love links. And sorry it took so long to get back to you. Your note got stuck in our spam filter.

9 Swedie 06/15/2009 at 10:16 pm

Looks quick and easy… thanks for sharing a great idea!

10 ivorysoap76 06/16/2009 at 6:38 am

@Swedie–Hurray! Tell me how it goes!

11 Tabbyjacks 06/18/2009 at 8:21 pm

I love IT!!!! I have several peices of material to use. This perfect! My husband is building a new deck so I have some place to put it. Thank you for the very detailed instructions.

GREAT WORK,
Tabbyjacks

12 ivorysoap76 06/19/2009 at 6:40 am

@TabbyJacks–You’re welcome! I also went through the technique again on my no-sew rag bag. I think those instructions are *prettier*. HA!

13 Bibliorg 06/28/2009 at 5:52 pm

Hey, do you think a jean material would work well with this template? I have a huge amount of old jeans that I’ve been meaning to turn into a rug, and I really like the look of your pattern. =)

14 Ivory Soap 06/29/2009 at 8:22 pm

@Bibliorg–Totally. I think the stretchiness of my t-shirts contributed to it not wanting to lay flat. I bet jeans would solve that problem.

15 Emerald 08/28/2009 at 10:17 pm

This is rad! It looks like a fingerprint from far away, I’m giving this a try for sure! Thanks for sharing the how-to.

16 kris 08/31/2009 at 12:47 pm

I’m getting lost when you have to add more. i sort of kept going with the same technique under over under tuck. Can i just do that the whole time a get the same results. I’m real lost with number nine. I’m very new to this, help please?

17 Ivory Soap 09/01/2009 at 11:50 am

You can keep going without adding as long as your rug lays flat. Otherwise, just slip another in there when it starts to pick up.

18 chrysshart 10/13/2009 at 2:19 am

I love this. It looks just like a fingerprint!

19 Rachel 11/09/2009 at 2:02 am

Wow, that is so cool! I have a rag rug and I jusst love it. I’ve never seen a no-sew version! Heather from CROQZine emailed me about this and I’m so glad she did. This is fabulous. I’ll be linking, thanks so much!

20 An Almost Unschooling Mom 11/09/2009 at 9:53 pm

I didn’t know this was possible – thanks so much for sharing this – I’m bookmarking, and the first free minute I have, is going into one of these projects.

21 Sara 11/11/2009 at 3:47 am

Wow, this is great! The thing that really annoyed me about trying to make a traditional braided rug (got as far as doormat size and gave up…..) was the sewing together of the braids, love the fact that this avoids that altogether. Don’t know whether i’ll get to a project like this as I’m so busy coming up with projects for my blog http://www.creativejewishmom.com Do drop by for a visit!

22 Darci 11/11/2009 at 5:53 pm

My Grandma-in-law (is that even a relation? anyway…) has a rag rug of all different colors in her kitchen, and I oo and aw over it every time I see it. Now I can oo and aw over my very own!! YAY!

23 Rebecca 11/15/2009 at 4:37 pm

My 84 year old Aunt makes these rugs out of dollar store platic table clothes. They work great for patio’s, mud rooms, and entrance from garage. She has told me how easy they are to make now that I have pitures to follow can’t wait to try myself. I’m off to the store for supplies!

24 Joanne 11/16/2009 at 6:46 pm

Oh gosh, I always wanted to make a rag rug. It was great fun to begin. I couldn’t get the turn though. It would be GREAT if you started with 4 colors and then took pictures of EACH single strand as it makes the turn. For us slow pokes, if you get the chance! And then I hope I can find this site again!

25 Carisa Holmes 11/18/2009 at 10:22 am

WOw I’m impressed! The rug looks amazing, though I’m not sure I have the skill or patience to make my own :-( What I love about it is how you solve multiple problems with one project.
1. You are diverting waste from landfills by repurposing old fabric
2. You are preventing the need for yet another new, toxic, synthetic rug
3. You are filling a need for a product without using ANY new materials

Genius!

Maybe I will send you all my worn out organic fabrics and we can take over the world…

26 Ivory Soap 11/21/2009 at 4:16 pm

Ooooo, Carisa, you called me a genius…. Did I pay you to say that?

27 Rachel 11/23/2009 at 2:40 pm

included this in a blog post that will feature 101 homemade gift ideas. It runs the day after Thanksgiving:
http://quirkymomma.com/2009/101-homeade-gift-ideas/

28 amy l 12/31/2009 at 1:30 pm

I tried your pattern about 6 months ago, because I think it looks so awesome with the swirly pattern. My question is, when the rug started getting “rug size” it wasn’t nearly as tight as the first severaly rows. Meaning, the fabric sections that loop got to be about 2 inches apart instead of around a 1/2 inch like they were the first several rows. I did keep the fabric pulled as tight through the whole rug. I was wondering if you have any advice on this, since it looks like your finished rug is weaved the same size throughout.

29 Ivory Soap 01/01/2010 at 9:32 pm

I think I added a great deal more strands as I went.

30 DW 01/12/2010 at 2:00 pm

I was just wondering, can you estimate how much fabric went in? Even if it’s just “10 shirts, 2 sheets, etc” or something like that. Just to get an idea…thanks!

31 Ivory Soap 01/13/2010 at 5:21 pm

DW: two BIG old navy t-shirts (remember in the late nineties when everything was still roomy?) and one stained up-to-date old navy t-shirt (relaxed fit…as if!)

32 Pep Pop 01/19/2010 at 10:23 am

Thanks for your tutorial.

33 elemegibere 01/21/2010 at 5:51 pm

Thank you, a great weave!

34 liz 01/30/2010 at 6:12 pm

Thank you! These instructions were very straightforward. My first try is a little loose and lumpy, but I think I will give it another go with thinner fabric (I used scarves from the lost and found :)
Cheers!
liz

35 Morgan 02/13/2010 at 11:33 pm

am I the only one who thinks it looks a bit like a fingerprint? It’s completely badass

36 Leslie 02/19/2010 at 7:06 am

My hubband wants a rug like this because he played on one like it when he was growing up. Now I can make it instead of buying it…YAY! Check out our self sufficiency blog if you like!

37 Jen 03/05/2010 at 3:33 pm

I love this rug! I see I’m a little late in finding it, but has anyone tried making one much larger? I’m thinking like 8′x10′ for my kids playroom, with random fun colors. Also, has anyone tried it with other fabrics? I have some old fleece blankets, or I was thinking possibly using just cotton fabrics (not knit like t-shirts).

Leave a Comment

You can use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Previous post:

Next post: