Round Amish Knot Rug Tutorial: How to Make a Beautiful Handmade Rug from Scratch
There is something deeply satisfying about making a rug with your own hands. When you look down at a finished piece spread across your kitchen floor or tucked beside a bed, knowing that you wove every strand of it yourself, the pride you feel is unlike anything a store-bought item can offer. The Round Amish Knot Rug is one of the most rewarding textile projects a crafter can take on, and the best part is that it requires almost no special equipment. If you have fabric strips, a pair of scissors, and a little patience, you have everything you need to get started.
This tutorial will walk you through the entire process from beginning to end. Whether you are a complete beginner who has never attempted any kind of rug making before, or an experienced crafter looking for a new technique to add to your repertoire, you will find clear, step-by-step guidance here. By the time you finish reading, you will understand the history behind this beautiful craft, the materials you need to gather, how to prepare your fabric, and exactly how to knot and shape your rug into a stunning round piece that can last for decades.
What Is an Amish Knot Rug?
Before diving into the how-to, it helps to understand what makes an Amish Knot Rug different from other handmade rugs. Sometimes called a Toothbrush Rug, a Monk’s Rug, or a Shaker Rug depending on the region and tradition, the Amish Knot Rug gets its name from the simple, repetitive knotting technique used to join strips of fabric together. Traditionally, the tool used to work the knots was nothing more than a sharpened toothbrush handle, though today crafters use a variety of purpose-made needles and tools.
Amish communities have been making these rugs for generations, born out of a philosophy of using what you have and wasting nothing. Old clothing, worn-out sheets, feed sacks, and leftover fabric were all cut into strips and transformed into sturdy, colorful floor coverings. The finished rugs are incredibly durable because the knotting technique locks each strip in place with remarkable security. A well-made Amish Knot Rug can withstand heavy foot traffic for years and can be washed without falling apart.
The round version of this rug is perhaps the most popular shape because it works beautifully as a centerpiece in almost any room. It looks stunning in an entryway, beside a bathtub, under a kitchen table, or in front of a fireplace. The spiraling rings of knotted fabric create a pattern that feels both rustic and elegant at the same time.
Materials You Will Need
Gathering your materials before you begin will make the whole process much smoother. The good news is that most of what you need is either free or very inexpensive.
Fabric. This is the most important material, and the most forgiving. You can use virtually any woven fabric: old t-shirts, flannel shirts, cotton bed sheets, denim jeans, wool sweaters, or any combination of these. Most experienced rug makers recommend using fabric of similar weight throughout a single rug so that the finished piece lies flat and feels even underfoot. Cotton and flannel are ideal for beginners because they are easy to cut and knot. A finished rug that measures about 24 inches in diameter will require roughly two to three pounds of fabric, though more is always better. As you work you will get a feel for how quickly the strips are consumed.
Scissors or a rotary cutter. A rotary cutter with a self-healing cutting mat will save you a significant amount of time if you have access to one, but a sharp pair of fabric scissors works perfectly well.
A toothbrush needle or Amish knot rug needle. This is the key tool in the whole project. A traditional approach uses a toothbrush with the bristle head cut off and one end sharpened to a point, with a hole drilled or cut near the opposite end. Today you can purchase purpose-made wooden or plastic needles designed specifically for this craft on sites like Etsy or Amazon, and they are inexpensive and much more comfortable to use over long sessions. The needle should be roughly five to six inches long with a large eye at one end.
A ruler or measuring tape. You will use this to cut your fabric strips to a consistent width.
Optional: A clipboard or clamp. Some crafters like to anchor the beginning of their rug to a clipboard or clamp it to a table edge while they work the first few rows, which can make starting much easier.
Preparing Your Fabric Strips
The preparation stage is where most of the labor lies, and it is worth taking your time here. Properly prepared strips will make the knotting itself go much more smoothly.
Start by washing and drying all your fabric before you begin. This prevents shrinkage later and ensures that your finished rug does not warp or pucker the first time it is cleaned. Once your fabric is clean and dry, lay it flat on your cutting surface.
Cut your fabric into strips that are approximately one and a half to two inches wide. The exact width is somewhat flexible depending on the weight of your fabric: heavier materials like denim or wool can be cut slightly narrower at around one inch, while lighter fabrics like cotton or flannel work better at a full two inches. Consistency within each fabric type is more important than hitting a precise measurement.
Cut your strips along the grain of the fabric, which means cutting parallel to the selvage edge or parallel to the threads running lengthwise through the material. For knit fabrics like t-shirts, cutting against the grain is fine and actually creates a pleasant curling effect that gives the finished rug a slightly rounded, rope-like texture.
Each strip should be as long as possible. When you run off the edge of a piece of fabric, simply start a new strip. You will join strips together as you work, and the joins will be hidden within the knots of the rug.
As you cut, roll each strip into a small ball or coil to keep things organized. If you are planning a specific color pattern in your rug, separate your strips by color now so you are not hunting through a pile of mixed fabric while you work.
To join two strips together, lay the ends of two pieces perpendicular to each other to form a right angle, then fold one end over the other and tie a simple overhand knot. Pull it firm and tight. This creates a flat, secure join that tucks neatly into the body of the rug as you knot. Alternatively, you can use the “slit and pull” method: cut a small slit near the end of both strips, push one strip’s slit end through the other, then pull the remaining tail of the first strip back through its own slit to create a self-tightening flat join. Many crafters prefer this method because it lies flatter than a tied knot.
Understanding the Amish Knot Stitch
Before you begin your rug, practice the basic Amish knot stitch a few times on some scrap strips. Once this motion becomes muscle memory, the rug will grow quickly and easily.
The Amish knot is essentially a simple looping stitch. You work with two strips at a time: a base strip and a working strip. The working strip loops around the base strip in a series of interlocking knots that hold the two together firmly while building up the body of the rug.
Thread one strip through the eye of your needle. This is your working strip. Hold the other strip as your base. Loop the working strip over and around the base strip from left to right, then bring the needle through the loop you have created from front to back and pull firm. This is one knot. Repeat this motion along the length of the base strip, placing each new knot directly beside the previous one without leaving gaps. The knots should lie snugly against each other.
The resulting structure looks almost like a twisted braid or a row of tiny loops lying side by side. As you coil and stitch additional rows outward, these rows of knots stack beside each other and lock together to create a dense, firm fabric.
Starting Your Round Rug
Beginning the round shape is the trickiest part of the whole project, but once you understand the principle behind it, the rest flows naturally.
Take one of your fabric strips and fold it in half. Tie the two tails together at one end using a simple overhand knot, leaving a small loop at the folded end. This loop is the very center of your rug.
Thread your needle with a second strip in your chosen starting color. Push the needle through the center loop from back to front. Begin working your Amish knot stitch around the center loop, placing four to six knots all the way around the tiny loop until it is completely covered and has begun to form a small, tight circle. Pull everything firm as you go.
Now you are ready to begin the spiral. Instead of starting a new row, you will simply continue knotting in a spiral outward from the center. The key to keeping your rug flat and round rather than cupped or ruffled is managing the rate at which you add length to your working row. As each circular row gets wider, you need to add knots more frequently to compensate for the increasing circumference.
A reliable rule of thumb is to add one extra knot approximately every six to eight knots as you work each new ring of the spiral. This is sometimes described as “easing” or “adding.” If your rug starts to ruffle and wave at the edges, you are adding too many knots per row and need to ease fewer. If the rug starts to cup upward into a bowl shape, you are not adding enough and need to ease more frequently. Lay your rug flat on a table periodically to check its shape as you go.
Building Out the Rug
Once you have established the flat spiral and understand the rhythm of adding ease knots, the rug grows one row at a time. Continue knotting outward in a continuous spiral, changing colors whenever you like by joining a new strip of a different color to your working strip.
Color changes are one of the great pleasures of this craft. You can plan formal color sequences in advance, alternating rings of different hues to create a striped bull’s-eye effect, or you can work more spontaneously, changing colors whenever a strip runs out and the next one you grab happens to be a different shade. Both approaches produce beautiful rugs. Many traditional Amish rugs have a lovely randomness to their color progression precisely because they were made from whatever fabric was on hand.
As your rug grows, you may find it helpful to occasionally hold it up and let it hang to check its shape and drape. A well-constructed rug should hang relatively flat with no severe distortion. Small imperfections are part of the handmade character and should not concern you.
To avoid long, continuous strips becoming tangled as you work, keep your strips rolled into balls and let each ball roll out naturally as you pull. Some crafters keep their balls in a small basket or bag beside them while they work.
Finishing the Edge
When your rug has reached the diameter you want, it is time to finish the edge cleanly so it does not unravel. There are a few different ways to do this.
The simplest method is to taper your final row. On your last row of knotting, gradually reduce the tightness of your knots and begin folding the end of your working strip back under the previous row, threading it through several of the loops of the outermost completed row using your needle. Pull the tail through firmly and trim any excess, tucking the raw end under the body of the rug where it will be hidden.
A slightly more polished finish involves threading the final tail of your strip onto the needle and weaving it back and forth through the last two rows of knots in a figure-eight pattern before trimming. This locks the end securely and makes the outer edge look clean and intentional.
Some crafters choose to add a thin fabric border strip around the very edge, whip-stitching it over the outermost row for a neat, professional appearance. This is a lovely finishing touch and adds a little extra durability to the edge.
Caring for Your Amish Knot Rug
One of the great practical virtues of the Amish Knot Rug is how easy it is to care for. For routine cleaning, take the rug outside and shake it firmly to release dust and debris. You can also vacuum it on a low setting, though be careful not to catch any loose ends in the suction.
For deeper cleaning, most cotton and flannel Amish Knot Rugs can be machine washed on a gentle cycle in cold water. Use a mild detergent and avoid hot water, which can cause the fabric to shrink unevenly. Roll the wet rug in a clean towel to absorb excess moisture, then lay it flat to dry rather than hanging it, which can stretch the shape. Never put a rug with any wool content in the machine; hand-wash it instead in cool water and lay flat to dry.
With proper care, a well-made Amish Knot Rug can last for many years. If the rug develops a loose end somewhere in the body, simply thread it onto your needle and weave it back into the surrounding knots to secure it again.
Tips for Success
The difference between a rug that lies beautifully flat and one that cups or ruffles usually comes down to tension. Try to maintain consistent tension throughout your knotting, not too tight and not too loose. Your knots should feel firm but not strained.
Working in good light is important because you need to see the loops of each previous row clearly to insert your needle accurately. Natural daylight or a good craft lamp will save your eyes and improve your accuracy.
If you are making your first rug, resist the temptation to plan an elaborate color scheme. A simple alternating two-color design or a random scrappy look made from whatever fabric you have on hand will let you focus on learning the technique without the extra mental load of following a pattern. Once the knotting motion feels natural, you can plan more ambitious designs.
Finally, be patient with the beginning. The center of the rug is the hardest part of the whole project. Once you have three or four rows established and the spiral is underway, the work becomes rhythmic and genuinely meditative. Many crafters find that rug making becomes a cherished part of their weekly routine precisely because of how calming and absorbing the repetitive motion can be.
A Craft Worth Passing Down
Making a Round Amish Knot Rug connects you to a long tradition of practical, beautiful handwork. Every rug made in this way is unique because it carries the particular fabrics and colors of one household, one collection of old shirts and worn sheets and leftover material. There is a story in every ring of the spiral.
The skills you develop making your first rug will stay with you. With practice, you will begin to instinctively feel the right tension, to recognize when a row needs an extra ease knot, and to make creative decisions about color and texture with confidence. You may even find yourself eyeing old clothing and bed linens with new appreciation, seeing not worn-out fabric but the raw material for something lasting and beautiful.
Whether your finished rug ends up in a farmhouse kitchen, a cozy bathroom, a child’s bedroom, or a well-loved entryway, it will bring warmth and character to the space for years to come. Pick up your needle and your first strip of fabric, and let the spiral begin.
