How to Make a Braided Rug: A Complete Amish Knot Rug Tutorial
There is something deeply satisfying about making something beautiful from materials you already have at home. The Amish Knot Rug, also known as a toothbrush rug or tongue rug, is one of those wonderfully approachable craft projects that feels like a lost art but is easier to learn than you might expect. With nothing more than strips of fabric, a large blunt needle or a homemade tool, and a bit of patience, you can create a thick, durable, and gorgeous rug that will last for years — even decades — if made well.
This tutorial walks you through every step of making your own Amish Knot Rug, from gathering and preparing your fabric to finishing the last stitch. Whether you are a complete beginner or someone who has tried other rug-making techniques and found them too fussy, this method is going to feel refreshingly manageable.
What Is an Amish Knot Rug?
Before we dive into the how-to, it helps to understand what makes this rug style unique. The Amish Knot Rug gets its name from the traditional communities that have made this style of rug for generations, using it as a practical way to repurpose worn clothing, feed sacks, and household textiles into something both functional and attractive.
Unlike braided rugs that require you to braid three strands and then coil and sew them together, the Amish Knot method uses a figure-eight or looping knot technique. Two fabric strands interlock with each other in a continuous pattern, creating a dense, flat surface that holds its shape beautifully without any sewing. The result looks similar to a traditional braided rug but is constructed quite differently and is, in many people’s opinion, easier and faster to work once you get the rhythm going.
These rugs can be made in any shape — oval, round, or rectangular — and in any color combination you like. Because the technique is so forgiving, it is a perfect project for using up scraps from your fabric stash.
Materials You Will Need
One of the best things about this project is that the supply list is short and inexpensive.
Fabric: You will need fabric strips cut or torn from old t-shirts, cotton sheets, denim, fleece, flannel, wool, or any sturdy woven or knit material. Avoid fabric that frays excessively or is very slippery, like satin or silk, until you have more experience with the technique. T-shirt fabric (jersey knit) is an especially popular choice because it curls in on itself when cut into strips, creating a naturally neat edge without any sewing or hemming. Plan for a generous amount of fabric — a small 18-by-30-inch rug can require two to three pounds of fabric strips, while a larger floor rug will require significantly more.
A toothbrush needle or Amish knot needle: This is the signature tool of this method. You can purchase one from a craft store or online, or you can make your own from a wooden craft stick or tongue depressor. To make one, cut a pointed tip on one end and a notch or hole at the other to hold your fabric strip. It should be about six to eight inches long. The needle is what allows you to loop one strip through another without tangling.
Scissors: Sharp fabric scissors make a big difference. Dull scissors make cutting strips a frustrating chore.
A ruler or rotary cutter and cutting mat (optional): These are helpful for cutting consistent strips but not strictly necessary.
A safety pin or binder clip: Useful for holding your work in place as you go.
That is truly all you need. No frame, no loom, no sewing machine required.
Preparing Your Fabric Strips
The quality of your finished rug depends heavily on how well you prepare your strips. Consistency in width and length makes the knotting process smoother and the finished surface more even.
Start by washing and drying all of your fabric before you begin. This pre-shrinks the material so your finished rug will not pucker or warp the first time you wash it. It also removes any sizing or finishes that might make the fabric slippery.
For most Amish Knot Rugs, strips between one and a half and two inches wide work well for a medium-weight fabric. For heavier fabric like denim or thick flannel, you might cut strips closer to one inch wide. For lightweight cotton or jersey, two inches or even slightly wider works nicely. The key is that all strips used together in the same rug should be roughly the same finished thickness once they are folded or naturally curled.
If you are working with woven fabric that frays, fold each strip lengthwise so the raw edges tuck in and the strip presents a smooth surface. Many crafters do this folding as they go, while others prepare their strips all at once by folding and pressing them with an iron to hold the fold. Either approach works fine.
If you are working with jersey knit fabric from old t-shirts, you can skip the folding entirely. Simply cut strips across the grain of the shirt (perpendicular to the hem) and they will naturally curl into neat tubes as you work with them. This is one of the reasons t-shirt fabric is such a popular choice for this project.
Cut your strips into lengths somewhere between three and five feet long. Longer strips can get tangled and become awkward to work with; shorter strips mean you will be joining new strips more frequently. As you gain experience, you will develop a preference.
To join strips end to end, you have a few options. The simplest is to cut a small slit near the end of each strip, then loop the new strip through the slit of the old strip and back through itself — a lark’s head knot of sorts. When you pull it snug, you get a secure join that lies fairly flat. Another option is to sew strips end to end on the diagonal (a seam cut at 45 degrees creates a flatter join than a straight seam). For a beginner, the loop-through method is perfectly adequate and requires no sewing at all.
Threading Your Needle
Thread your toothbrush needle by pulling the beginning of one fabric strip through the hole or notch at the blunt end. Leave a tail of about six inches hanging free — you will use this tail to anchor the start of your rug.
Your second strip will not go on the needle yet. It will simply sit in your lap or on your work surface, free, while the first strip does the looping.
Starting the Rug
This is the step that confuses most beginners, but once you do it, it makes perfect sense.
Hold the tail of your needle strip and the beginning of your free strip together. Tie them in a simple overhand knot, leaving a loop of about two inches in the tail of each. This starting knot is the center of your rug, and everything grows outward from here.
For an oval rug, you will begin by working a straight section of a certain length before looping back and building outward. The length of this initial straight section determines the final length-to-width ratio of your rug. If you want a rug that is roughly 24 inches wide and 36 inches long, your starting straight section should be about 12 inches long (the difference between length and width divided by two, times two — but practically speaking, just experiment and measure as you go).
For a round rug, start with a very short straight section of just a couple of inches before you begin turning.
The Amish Knot Stitch
Now for the heart of the technique. The Amish Knot stitch is a figure-eight motion that locks two strips together row by row.
Hold your work so the beginning knot is at the top. You have two strips going in one direction — the needle strip and the free strip.
Take your needle strip (which is threaded on your toothbrush needle) and push the needle under the free strip from right to left, creating a loop. Then bring the free strip up through that loop from underneath. Pull both strips snug but not so tight that the rug curls or puckers.
Move one position forward along the free strip and repeat. The needle strip loops around the free strip in a consistent, rhythmic motion — under, through, pull snug — over and over again.
As you work down the starting straight section and begin to turn the corner to build outward, you will notice that the turns require a few extra knots on the outside of each curve to keep the rug lying flat. This is exactly like turning a corner in crochet or knitting — the outer edge needs more stitches than the inner edge to prevent pulling.
If the rug begins to cup upward or curl, you are pulling too tightly or not adding enough increase stitches at the curves. If it begins to ruffle and refuse to lie flat, you are adding too many increases. Lay your rug on a flat surface periodically to check its progress. With a little practice, you will develop an instinct for the tension.
Adding New Strips
You will run out of fabric strip before you finish your rug, so knowing how to add new strips seamlessly is essential.
When your free strip gets short (leave at least four inches of tail), join a new strip to it using the loop-through method described earlier. The join should end up on the underside of the rug if possible, though it is perfectly okay if it shows a bit — after the rug has been used and washed a few times, all the joins tend to disappear into the texture of the rug.
When your needle strip gets short, unthread the needle from the old strip, thread on a new one, and join them in the same way. Continue working.
Working the Body of the Rug
Once you have completed the first row around your starting section and are working the second, third, and subsequent rows outward, your work develops a satisfying rhythm. Many rug makers describe this as a meditative craft — the repetitive motion becomes almost automatic, and you can work while listening to music, watching television, or simply letting your mind wander.
As the rug grows, you will continue to add increase stitches at the curves (typically one or two extra knots at each end of an oval, spread evenly around the curve) while working straight knots along the straight sides.
The easiest way to keep track of your increases is by feel and by eye. Lay the rug flat regularly. If it lies smooth and flat, your increases are correct. Adjust as needed.
Color changes happen naturally when you switch from one fabric color or type to another. Because the two strips (the needle strip and the free strip) show different amounts of each color based on how the knots lay, you can create interesting visual effects by pairing contrasting colors, or you can aim for a more harmonious look by keeping your palette tightly coordinated.
Many traditional Amish Knot Rugs were made in a “hit or miss” style, using whatever fabric scraps were available without worrying about color coordination at all. These rugs have an endearingly scrappy, folk-art quality that many people find even more appealing than carefully planned color schemes.
Finishing the Rug
When your rug has reached the size you want, it is time to finish off the ends so they do not unravel or look messy.
Cut both strips, leaving about six inches of tail on each. Thread one tail onto your needle and weave it back through several knots on the underside of the rug, pulling it snug. Trim any excess. Do the same with the other tail. If you have any other loose tails from joins throughout the rug, now is the time to weave those in as well.
Give the entire rug a close inspection on both sides. The underside should look almost as neat as the top — the hallmark of a well-made Amish Knot Rug.
Washing and Caring for Your Rug
One of the great practical advantages of this style of rug is that it is completely washable. Toss it in the washing machine on a gentle or normal cycle with cold water and mild detergent. Tumble dry on low heat, or lay flat or hang to air dry.
Over time and after several washings, the rug will actually become softer, more supple, and more beautiful. The knots settle into each other and the fabric blooms slightly, filling in any small gaps and creating an even denser surface.
To prevent slipping on hard floors, place a non-slip rug pad underneath, or spray the back of the rug with commercial rug gripper spray.
Tips for Success
The most important thing in making an Amish Knot Rug is consistent tension. Practice on a small swatch — make a little six-inch-by-six-inch square just to get the feel of the stitch — before committing to a full rug project.
Invest in sharp scissors. This sounds like minor advice but it makes a significant difference in how enjoyable the preparation process is.
If you are using multiple fabric types, test them together first. A very stretchy jersey knit paired with a stiff, non-stretch woven fabric can create tension inconsistencies in the finished rug. Use fabrics of similar weight and stretch for the most even results.
Work in good light. The knots are easy to see once you are practiced, but when you are learning, adequate lighting helps you keep track of which direction your needle is passing under the free strip.
Do not be discouraged if your first rug is imperfect. Handmade always has character, and the slight variations that come from a human hand are part of what makes these rugs so charming. Even experienced rug makers notice small irregularities in their work, and those irregularities are part of what distinguishes a handmade piece from a machine-made one.
Why Make an Amish Knot Rug?
Beyond the practical reasons — it is inexpensive, uses up fabric scraps, requires minimal tools — there is a deeper reason many people are drawn to this craft. Making an Amish Knot Rug connects you to a long tradition of domestic resourcefulness and artistry. The women and men who made these rugs in generations past were not thinking of them as art objects or craft projects; they were making useful things for their homes from whatever they had on hand. And yet, those rugs are now treasured as heirlooms and displayed in folk art museums.
Your rug, made from an old flannel shirt, a worn cotton sheet, and a few strips of a beloved t-shirt, carries that same quality of personal history woven into every knot. It is a thing made by hand, made with care, and made to last. That is a rare and worthwhile thing to bring into the world.
So gather your fabric, sharpen your scissors, whittle yourself a needle, and get started. Your first Amish Knot Rug is waiting to be made.
