Crochet a Perfect Oval Rug: The Complete Guide to Crocheted, Amish Knot, and Toothbrush Techniques
There is something deeply satisfying about making a rug from scratch. Whether you are repurposing old fabric strips, working with chunky yarn, or exploring a traditional craft technique you discovered in a grandmother’s sewing basket, an oval rug is one of the most rewarding projects you can take on. It fits naturally in front of a sink, beside a bed, at the base of a staircase, or as a welcoming mat inside a front door. The oval shape is practical, beautiful, and surprisingly achievable once you understand a few key principles.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know to crochet a perfect oval rug, with detailed instruction covering three popular methods: traditional crochet, Amish knot (also called the toothbrush rug or Miller’s method), and the classic toothbrush technique. Each approach produces a stunning, durable result, and by the end of this post you will have the knowledge to choose the right method for your materials and your skill level.
Why Oval Rugs Are Worth the Effort
Before diving into technique, it helps to appreciate why the oval shape is so beloved among rug makers. Unlike a rectangle, an oval has no sharp corners that curl or lift off the floor. Unlike a circle, an oval suits more room placements and complements the shape of furniture groupings, kitchen islands, and bathroom layouts. The oval distributes the visual weight of a rug more gently across a space, and from a technical standpoint, the absence of corners actually makes it easier to keep your rug lying flat.
Flat is everything when it comes to rugs. A rug that cups, bowls, or waves is not just unattractive — it is a tripping hazard. The oval shape, when worked correctly, almost wants to lie flat on its own, making it the ideal starting project for new rug makers and a reliable go-to for experienced crafters who want a satisfying result without constant blocking.
Materials You Will Need
Regardless of which technique you choose, the basic supply list overlaps in useful ways.
For traditional crochet, you will need a large crochet hook — typically size N (9mm), P (10mm), or even larger depending on your yarn weight — and your choice of bulky yarn, recycled T-shirt yarn (called tarn), cotton rope, or fabric strips cut from old sheets and clothing. A yarn needle for weaving in ends rounds out the list.
For the Amish knot and toothbrush methods, you will not use a traditional crochet hook at all. Instead, these techniques use a large blunt needle with a big eye — either a dedicated toothbrush needle (shaped somewhat like a toothbrush handle with a curved needle at one end), a large tapestry needle, or a bent bodkin. Your material is typically fabric strips rather than yarn, though some crafters use thick rope or braided cordage. You will also need a way to prepare your strips: scissors, a rotary cutter and mat, or a fabric strip cutter tool all work well.
All three methods benefit from a non-slip rug pad underneath the finished piece, which protects both the rug and your floors.
Understanding the Oval Foundation
Whether you are crocheting with yarn or looping fabric with a toothbrush needle, the oval rug begins the same way: with a foundation chain or starting strip that determines the final length-to-width ratio of your rug.
The key to a perfect oval is this simple formula: the length of your foundation chain (or starting strip) equals the finished length of the rug minus the finished width. So if you want a rug that is 24 inches wide and 36 inches long, your foundation chain should be approximately 12 inches long. The extra 12 inches on each side come from working around both ends of the chain, building rounds that add width evenly in all directions.
This is the single most important concept in oval rug making. Once you internalize it, the math becomes intuitive and you can design rugs of any size you want.
Method One: Traditional Crochet Oval Rug
Traditional crochet is the most familiar entry point for most crafters. If you already know how to chain, single crochet, and work in the round, you can make a beautiful oval rug with minimal adjustment to your existing skills.
Starting the Foundation
Begin by chaining the number of stitches that corresponds to your desired foundation length. For a small bath mat approximately 18 by 28 inches, chain about 20 stitches with bulky yarn and a large hook. For a kitchen runner or bedside rug in the 24-by-36-inch range, start with 30 to 35 chains.
Once your chain is the right length, do not turn your work. Instead, you will crochet around the outside of the chain, treating it like a long oval track. Single crochet into the second chain from the hook and work across to the end of the chain. When you reach the last stitch, work three single crochets into that final stitch to turn the corner. Now continue single crocheting back along the other side of the same chain — you are working into the bottom loops of your foundation chain. When you return to where you started, work three single crochets into that first stitch to round the other end, then slip stitch to join. That completes your first round.
Building the Rounds
From here, each round adds width by working additional stitches around the curved ends. The rule is simple: add stitches at the ends to prevent cupping. On a typical oval, you will increase by working two stitches into every stitch along the curved sections, while working single crochets straight (one stitch into each stitch) along the long sides.
How many increase stitches you need per round depends on your yarn weight and hook size. A good general guideline for single crochet with bulky yarn is to add approximately 12 stitches total per round — distributing those increases evenly across both ends. If you add too few, the rug will cup upward at the edges. If you add too many, it will ruffle and wave. Flat is the goal.
If you notice your rug starting to cup after a few rounds, add an extra increase on each end in the next round. If it ruffles, skip one increase on each end. Trust what you see, adjust as you go, and do not be afraid to rip back a round and redo it. Frogging (undoing crochet) is a normal part of the process, not a sign of failure.
Choosing Your Stitch
Single crochet produces the firmest, densest result — ideal for a heavy-duty kitchen or entryway rug. Half double crochet adds a little more texture and height while remaining sturdy. Some rug makers alternate rounds of single crochet and slip stitch for a subtle ridged effect. If you are using T-shirt yarn or fabric strips, stick with single crochet or slip stitch; these materials are already bulky and do not need the height of taller stitches.
Finishing
When your rug has reached the desired size, slip stitch to join your final round, cut the yarn leaving a six-inch tail, and pull the tail through the loop to secure. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and weave it in along several stitches on the underside of the rug. Do the same with your starting tail. If you used fabric strips and joined them mid-project, weave in any additional tails as neatly as possible.
Lay your finished rug on a flat surface and, if needed, lightly steam block it by hovering a steam iron a few inches above the surface. This relaxes any slight unevenness and encourages the rug to lie perfectly flat.
Method Two: Amish Knot Rug (Miller’s Method)
The Amish knot rug — sometimes called the toothbrush rug or Miller’s rug — is a traditional American craft with roots in rural communities where nothing was wasted. Old clothing, worn sheets, and leftover fabric found new life as colorful, durable floor coverings. The technique requires no crochet hook and no knitting needles. Instead, a large looping needle is all you need to create an extraordinarily sturdy rug with a beautiful woven texture.
Preparing Your Fabric Strips
The quality of an Amish knot rug depends almost entirely on the preparation of your fabric strips. Cut or tear your fabric into strips approximately one inch wide and as long as possible. Cotton jersey (from T-shirts and knit fabric) is the classic choice because it stretches slightly, which helps pack the knots tightly. Denim, flannel, cotton sheeting, and even burlap all work, though you may need to adjust the strip width depending on fabric thickness.
Join your strips end to end by folding the ends of two strips together, cutting a small slit through both layers, then pulling one end through the slit of the other. This creates an interlocking knot that will be hidden inside the finished rug. Avoid bulky knots, which create lumps. As you work, keep a large ball or basket of pre-joined strips handy.
Working the Amish Knot
The Amish knot is worked in a continuous loop. Thread your large blunt needle with a long strip of fabric. Fold the end of a second strip over the working strip to create a starting loop, then begin looping the needle through each previous loop in sequence — essentially a hand-worked chain stitch, but much larger and worked in fabric rather than thread.
To begin the oval, work a straight section of chain the length of your desired foundation (remember: finished length minus finished width). Then loop around the end of the chain and begin working back along the other side, looping into the stitches on the opposite side of your foundation as you go. Continue building rounds in this way, looping each new row into the outer edge of the previous round.
The key to the Amish knot’s durability is the interlocking structure: every loop passes through the loop beneath it, creating a dense, fabric-locked surface that is nearly impossible to pull apart. Experienced Amish knot rug makers describe the process as meditative — once your hands learn the rhythm, the rounds seem to grow on their own.
Shaping the Ends
As with traditional crochet, you will need to add extra loops at the curved ends to keep the rug flat. Because the Amish knot has no standardized stitch count, you do this by feel: if the end seems to want to flip up, add an extra loop by working two loops into one from the previous round. If the edge ruffles, skip a loop at the curved end. After a few rounds, you will develop an instinct for when the end needs a little extra width.
Finishing the Amish Knot Rug
To end the rug, thread the final strip tail back through several previous loops on the underside with your needle, weaving it securely in at least four to five directions so it cannot pull free. Trim any excess. The finished surface of an Amish knot rug has a distinctive, bumpy woven texture that is different on the front and back — the front shows smooth, rounded loops while the back shows a flatter, braided-like pattern. Both sides are attractive and usable.
Method Three: Toothbrush Rug Technique
The toothbrush rug is closely related to the Amish knot and is sometimes used interchangeably with it, but the classic toothbrush method has a few distinguishing features that set it apart. The name comes from the traditional tool: an old toothbrush with the head broken off and an eye filed or drilled into the handle, creating a curved blunt needle perfectly shaped for the looping motion.
Modern crafters use purpose-made toothbrush needles available from craft suppliers, or they use large tapestry needles bent slightly at the tip. The technique is essentially the same as the Amish knot but tends to produce slightly tighter loops because the curved needle allows a more controlled pull-through motion.
Step by Step for Beginners
Start with a length of fabric strip approximately two yards long threaded through the eye of the toothbrush needle. Form a loop at the free end. Pass the needle through that loop to create your first stitch, then continue passing the needle through each new loop as it forms. This creates your foundation chain.
Work the foundation to the desired length, then curve around the end and begin building rounds exactly as described in the Amish knot section. Many toothbrush rug makers use a slightly looser tension than Amish knot crafters, resulting in a rug with a slightly more cushioned feel underfoot.
The finishing steps are identical: weave in the final tail, tuck all strip joins neatly to the underside, and lay the rug flat.
Tips for Keeping Any Oval Rug Perfectly Flat
No matter which technique you choose, these tips will help your rug lie flat and stay beautiful for years.
Work with consistent tension throughout the project. Switching between tight and loose rounds creates uneven sections that fight against each other.
Block your rug after completion. Even a quick steam or a damp-towel-press can smooth out minor irregularities. For fabric strip rugs, damp-blocking works especially well: dampen the rug with a spray bottle, lay it flat on a clean surface, and let it dry fully before use.
Use a quality non-slip rug pad. This keeps the rug in place, protects your floors, and reduces the stress that walking on an unsecured rug puts on the stitches.
Wash and dry your rug before use. This pre-shrinks the materials and helps the loops and stitches settle into their final positions, often resolving minor waves or cupping that survived the blocking step.
Store extra fabric or yarn between work sessions so the colors stay consistent. Fading and dye lot variation are the enemies of a cohesive color scheme.
Design Ideas and Color Inspiration
One of the greatest joys of making your own rug is total creative control. Here are a few design approaches that work beautifully in oval form.
A simple striped design — alternating two or three colors in bands of three to five rounds each — is a classic look that suits farmhouse, coastal, and traditional decor equally well. The stripes read as concentric ovals, which is a visually pleasing and naturally oval-friendly pattern.
A gradient or ombre effect, transitioning from a deep anchor color at the center to a light neutral at the edges, creates a serene, modern look perfect for bedrooms and bathrooms.
For a more eclectic aesthetic, try a random scrappy design using whatever fabric you have on hand. The natural chaos of mismatched prints and colors unifies surprisingly well in rug form because the texture and scale of the loops create visual harmony.
If you want to incorporate a motif — a simple geometric, a chevron, a checkerboard — plan your color changes carefully before you begin and consider swatching to check how the pattern reads at rug scale.
Caring for Your Finished Rug
A well-made oval rug can last decades with proper care. For yarn rugs, hand washing or a gentle machine cycle in cold water followed by air drying is safest. Avoid high heat, which can felt wool and distort acrylic fibers. For fabric strip rugs, machine washing on a gentle cycle is generally fine — these rugs were born from practicality and can handle regular laundering. Always air dry flat rather than in a dryer to preserve the shape.
Shake your rug outside occasionally to remove dirt and debris from between the loops. Vacuum on a low suction setting without the beater bar, which can snag and pull loops over time.
If a loop pulls loose, resist the urge to cut it off. Thread it back through the adjacent loops with a tapestry needle and work it to the underside where it can be woven in securely.
Starting Your First Oval Rug Today
Whether you are drawn to the familiar rhythm of crochet, the meditative looping of the Amish knot, or the satisfying click of a toothbrush needle passing through fabric, an oval rug is a project that rewards patience and creativity in equal measure. The techniques described here have been used for generations to turn humble materials into objects of lasting beauty and everyday usefulness.
Start small if you are new to any of these methods — a small bathroom mat is a perfect first project. Once you have completed one and felt the satisfaction of placing it on the floor and stepping onto something you made with your own hands, you will almost certainly want to start another. The oval rug has a way of doing that to people.
Gather your materials, choose your method, measure your foundation, and begin. A perfect oval rug is closer than you think.
