How to Rag Rug Tutorial: The Complete Guide to Making Beautiful Rugs from Fabric Scraps
There is something deeply satisfying about transforming a pile of old fabric scraps, worn-out clothes, and forgotten remnants into something beautiful and functional. Rag rugs have been made for centuries across cultures, born out of necessity and kept alive by creativity. Today, they are experiencing a well-deserved revival, and for good reason. Whether you are a complete beginner or someone with a little crafting experience, making a rag rug is one of the most accessible and rewarding textile projects you can take on.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from choosing the right materials and method to finishing your rug so it lasts for years. By the end, you will have all the knowledge you need to make your first rag rug — and probably your second and third as well.
What Is a Rag Rug?
A rag rug is exactly what it sounds like: a rug made from strips of fabric, or “rags.” The strips are woven, braided, hooked, or crocheted together to form a durable floor covering. Traditionally, rag rugs were made from worn-out clothing, bed linens, flour sacks, and any textile that was too damaged to use for its original purpose but too valuable to throw away.
What makes rag rugs so appealing today is that they are sustainable, customizable, and relatively inexpensive to make. You can control the color palette, the size, the texture, and the pattern. You can use materials you already own or source fabric cheaply from thrift stores and charity shops. Every rug you make is unique.
Choosing Your Method
Before you gather your materials, you need to decide which method you want to use. There are several popular techniques, each producing a different look and feel.
Braided rag rugs are one of the oldest and most traditional styles. You braid strips of fabric together just as you would braid hair, then coil the braid and stitch it together to form an oval or round rug. The result is thick, sturdy, and reversible. This method requires no special tools and is great for beginners.
Woven rag rugs are made on a loom, either a simple homemade frame loom or a proper floor or table loom. You string the loom with a warp thread, then weave strips of fabric through as the weft. Woven rugs lie flat and look very polished. A frame loom can be made from a wooden picture frame and some nails, making this method accessible without spending much money.
Hooked rag rugs involve pulling strips of fabric through a hessian or burlap backing using a hook. The result is a looped pile that looks somewhat like a low-cut carpet. Rug hooking allows for detailed patterns and pictorial designs. It requires a rug hook and some sort of backing material but is still very approachable.
Crocheted rag rugs are made by cutting fabric into long strips and crocheting them just as you would yarn. The fabric strips create a thick, chunky texture. This method is ideal if you already know how to crochet, and it works up quickly.
Twined rag rugs involve two strands of fabric twisted around each other as they weave through a warp. This produces a particularly sturdy, textured rug.
For this tutorial, we will focus primarily on braided and woven rag rugs, as these are the most beginner-friendly and require the least specialized equipment. We will also cover the basics of crocheted rag rugs, since so many people already have crochet skills they can put to use.
Materials You Will Need
Regardless of the method you choose, there are some general materials that apply across the board.
Fabric: Almost any fabric can be used for rag rugs, but some work better than others. Cotton is the classic choice — it is easy to cut, comfortable underfoot, and holds color well. Denim from old jeans is excellent because it is durable and creates a beautiful texture. Wool is wonderful for hooked rugs because it grips well and creates a plush pile. T-shirt fabric, or jersey knit, is soft and stretchy, making it particularly good for crocheted and braided rugs. Avoid fabrics that fray excessively, like loosely woven synthetics, unless you plan to use the fraying as a design element.
Scissors or a rotary cutter: You will be cutting a lot of fabric strips, so sharp scissors or a rotary cutter with a cutting mat will save your hands and speed up the process considerably.
A ruler or cutting guide: To keep your strips even in width.
For braided rugs: A large blunt needle or yarn needle and strong thread for stitching the coil together.
For woven rugs: A frame loom or table loom, warping thread (cotton twine or strong yarn works well), and a shuttle or large needle to carry the weft.
For crocheted rugs: A large crochet hook, typically size N or P (9mm to 10mm or larger), though with fabric strips you may want to go even bigger.
A non-slip rug pad: Not required for making the rug, but highly recommended for using it safely on hard floors.
Preparing Your Fabric Strips
No matter which method you choose, the preparation of your fabric strips is one of the most important steps. Well-prepared strips make the whole process smoother and the finished rug more attractive.
Start by washing all your fabric if it has not already been washed. This removes any finishes, preshrinks the fabric, and ensures your finished rug will not shrink unevenly the first time you wash it.
Next, decide on your strip width. For braided and crocheted rugs, strips between one and two inches wide are common. For woven rugs, strips a little narrower — around half an inch to one inch — tend to work better. For hooked rugs, strips are narrower still, typically a quarter inch to half an inch.
To cut the strips, you can use scissors by folding the fabric and making long cuts, or you can use a rotary cutter on a cutting mat for faster, more even results. One useful trick is to cut almost to the edge of the fabric on each cut, leaving a small uncut margin, then cut in the opposite direction on the next strip. This creates one long, continuous strip from a flat piece of fabric, which saves you from having to join lots of short strips together.
If you do end up with separate strips that need to be joined, the easiest method is to overlap the ends at a right angle, stitch a small diagonal seam across the corner, then trim the excess. This creates a nearly invisible join that lies flat as you work.
Winding your strips into loose balls as you cut them will keep things organized and prevent tangles as you work.
How to Make a Braided Rag Rug
The braided rag rug is perhaps the most accessible project for a complete beginner. You need no tools beyond scissors, a needle, and thread.
Begin by cutting or tearing your fabric into strips of roughly the same width — about one and a half inches is a good starting point. Choose three strips in your chosen colors to start your braid.
Pin or clamp the three strips together at one end, or loop them over a door handle or hook to give you something to pull against. Begin braiding by bringing the right strip over the center strip, then the left strip over the new center. Continue braiding, keeping the tension even and the braid tight. As each strip runs out, add a new one by tucking the new end alongside the old end and continuing to braid over both for a few inches until the join is secure.
When you have a braid long enough to begin coiling — about twelve to eighteen inches — start shaping your rug. For a round rug, coil the braid in a tight circle. For an oval rug, start with a straight length of braid running down the center, then coil around it.
As you coil, use a large blunt needle and strong thread (linen thread or waxed thread works well) to stitch the coils together, passing the needle through the loops of the braid to lace the coils side by side. Try not to pull too tight, as this will cause the rug to cup. The goal is a flat, even surface.
Continue braiding and coiling until your rug reaches the desired size. To finish, taper the last few inches of braid by trimming each strip a little shorter as you go, so the braid narrows gradually rather than ending abruptly. Tuck the final ends into the last coil and stitch firmly to secure.
How to Make a Woven Rag Rug on a Frame Loom
A frame loom can be made from any sturdy rectangular frame. An old picture frame works well, or you can nail two pairs of boards together in a rectangle. Hammer nails or small pegs evenly along the top and bottom edges, spacing them about a quarter inch apart.
String your warp by looping warp thread around the nails from top to bottom in a figure-eight pattern, creating a series of vertical threads. Pull each loop snug but not so tight that it bows the frame. The warp should be taut and even.
To begin weaving, cut your fabric strips into lengths slightly wider than the loom. Thread a strip onto a large blunt needle or a simple shuttle made from a piece of card with notches cut at each end. Pass the strip through the warp, going over the first thread, under the second, over the third, and so on — a plain weave pattern.
Push the strip down toward the bottom of the loom using a comb or your fingers. On the next row, reverse the pattern — going under the threads you went over before, and over the threads you went under. This interlocking creates the weave.
Leave a small tail of fabric at each edge and fold it back over itself as you start each new row to create a neat selvedge edge. When one strip ends, simply overlap the new strip by an inch and continue. The tails will be tucked in when you finish.
Continue weaving until you reach the top of the loom. To remove the rug, simply lift the loops off the nails and tie adjacent warp loops together in pairs to create a finished fringe edge. Alternatively, you can fold the fringe to the back and sew it down for a cleaner look.
If you want a larger rug than your loom allows, weave several panels and sew or lace them together.
How to Make a Crocheted Rag Rug
If you know how to crochet, a fabric-strip rug works up beautifully and is quite fast to complete given the chunky scale of the work.
Prepare your fabric strips as described above and wind them into a ball. Using a large crochet hook — size P or larger is recommended — start with a foundation chain. The length of this chain will determine the length of the oval or rectangle if you are working flat, or you can work in the round for a circular rug.
For a classic oval rug, chain about twenty stitches. Work three single crochets into the last chain from the hook, then single crochet back along the chain to the beginning. Work three more single crochets into the first chain, then continue working rounds around the outside of the oval, increasing at each end to keep the work flat.
If you prefer a round rug, start with a magic ring, work six single crochets into the ring, then continue working in rounds, increasing evenly around each round to keep the circle flat.
Work loosely — fabric strips have less give than yarn, so tight tension can cause the rug to curl and cup. If your rug starts to ruffle, you are increasing too much; if it cups, you need more increases.
When the rug reaches your desired size, finish off by slip stitching into the next stitch, cutting the fabric strip, and pulling the tail through the final loop to secure it. Weave the tail into the back of the rug using a blunt needle.
Finishing and Caring for Your Rag Rug
Once your rug is complete, give it a thorough inspection. Check for any loose ends, weak joins, or spots where the fabric strips have worked loose. Secure anything that looks uncertain before putting the rug into use.
Washing a new rag rug can actually help it. A gentle machine wash on a cool cycle will help the fabric strips relax and settle into place, giving the rug a softer feel and a more finished appearance. Tumble dry on low heat or lay flat to dry.
For ongoing care, most rag rugs can be machine washed, which is one of their great advantages over more delicate rugs. Shake them out regularly to remove dust, and rotate them occasionally if they are in a high-traffic area to ensure even wear.
If your rug is on a hard floor, a non-slip rug pad placed underneath is essential for safety and will also protect the back of the rug from abrasion.
Over time, with heavy use, the fabric strips may start to look tired. This is part of the charm of a rag rug — they age gracefully. If a section wears through in a braided rug, you can often unpick that section and rebraid it with fresh fabric. A crocheted rug can be repaired row by row. This repairability is another reason why rag rugs have endured for so long.
Tips for a Beautiful Rag Rug
A few extra ideas can take your rag rug from functional to genuinely beautiful.
Think carefully about color before you start cutting. Lay your fabrics out together and look at them as a whole. A rug with a thoughtful color palette — whether it is a harmonious blend of similar tones or a bold, contrasting design — will be far more pleasing than one that is just a random jumble. That said, there is also a long tradition of truly scrappy rag rugs where everything goes in together, and these have their own cheerful energy.
Sorting your strips into color families as you cut them gives you flexibility to arrange colors intentionally as you work, rather than grabbing whatever comes to hand.
Consider mixing different textures for visual interest. Combining jersey strips with denim, for example, creates a rug with satisfying textural variety.
For woven rugs, you can create stripes and geometric patterns simply by alternating the colors of your weft strips in a planned sequence.
Finally, do not be too precious about perfection. Slight variations in strip width, small imperfections in the weave, and the occasional wonky braid are all part of what makes a handmade rug special. These are the marks of a hand that made something, and they give the finished object a warmth that manufactured goods can never replicate.
Why Rag Rugs Are Worth Making
Beyond the practical result — a beautiful, durable, washable rug — the process of making a rag rug is genuinely enjoyable. It is one of those crafts that occupies your hands while leaving your mind free to wander, listen to a podcast, or simply rest. It is also deeply satisfying in a way that connects you to generations of makers before you who sat with their baskets of fabric scraps and did exactly the same thing.
There is something meaningful about giving a second life to fabric that would otherwise end up discarded. A rag rug made from your children’s outgrown clothes, old bed sheets, or a beloved worn-out shirt carries stories within it. It becomes a small piece of material history, functional and beautiful at the same time.
If you have never made a rag rug before, start simple. A small braided coaster or table mat will teach you everything you need to know before you commit to a full rug. Once you have the feel for the process, scaling up is straightforward, and you will find that the rhythmic, repetitive work becomes genuinely meditative.
Gather your scraps, pick your colors, and start cutting. Your rug is waiting to be made.
