Table of Contents
What tools you will need
This is a very easy to follow guide to transforming a hessian sack to a rag rug. You will also need some old clothes, t-shirts are ideal as they roll back on themselves, but old sheets can be just as good. I use a mixture here and you can too. I have other ways of using up rags for example rustic pom poms or another type of rag rug using the peg loom method.
For this you will need to buy a Rug cutting and prodding tool but this is a very handy tool to have around for all sorts of crafts. I got my hessian sack from a friend who drinks way too much fresh ground coffee. You can buy rug hessian online here Hessian Jute Fabric . Do not go too big too soon as this is a slow craft. Ideal for those cold winter nights. A handmade rug is just the ticket for keeping your lap warm! What could be cuter than a coffee sack rug?
Making a rag rug is very relaxing! It is also one of those old fashioned crafts which fits in very well with a zero waste lifestyle!
What Design or Pattern to Follow?
The way I approached this was to create my own swirly pattern, you can’t be too worried about perfection in a rag rug and this way I was able to introduce new material as and when needed.
This proves to be the ideal cold evening project as you sit on the sofa watching tv. I find it very relaxing as there is no pattern to follow and progress is relatively slow, so you don’t need to set a timescale on this one.
Here is my online tutorial, very simple to follow and you can pause it when you need to or, alternatively read the below description. By using the hessian sack rug backing you create a non-slip backing. That is not to be underestimated!
How hard is it to make a rag rug?
This is very simple to complete. Once you have a scrap of material, working from the back you create a hole and push the strip through. The prodder is invaluable here and will enable you to work quickly and in comfort. You can use one strip and prod it through until you have used it all. Then move on to the next strip.
I have used coffee sacks so the sides have a natural ‘hem’ but when they do not you have to fold over around an inch of the sack and then it is much harder to make the holes, but still possible. It is tempting to try and sew the edges, but really not required. Using hessian for rug making is a neat way to be zero waste in your crafts! In Wales we used to call this a nain rug, as your nain or nan would know how to make them!
Should you follow a design for a hessian sack rug?
If you wish to produce a neater pattern, you will see from the video another type of rag rug I have produced. For this one I used a pen to draw the outline of my heart shape and then worked from the back to produce this neat shape. I wasn’t too happy with it though as the shape was lost with the scraps of rag being too long. This is something you can just control by using the same method as I have here and cutting to length each time. It is a longer process and uses more material. If you prefer the outcome, why not try it?
All of the rag rugs I have made including the peg loom rag rug are machine washable. This comes in very handy when you think about how much mud seems to come into your home without an invite.
So set yourself the challenge of becoming a crafty upcycling pro! Think zero waste and zero contribution to landfill. Also remember zero cost to you.
We also love to use up our fat quarters on projects like DIY Pocket Warmers. Why not try a slightly larger project in the form of wheat heat packs?
One way to do this is with the hook method, or the push through. This example uses strips of rags and allows for a quick timescale for completion. You can use a hessian sack or old coffee sack as the backing.
There is no real need to design it too closely as you may enjoy the look of a free style pattern. However with the hessian sack backing it is easier to draw a pattern to suit. Many people go for the classic circular rug and that looks great. I built this one as the rags became available so it was harder to design from the start.
Not really. We have a link for a prodder tool and that is a very handy multi tool to have, otherwise anything that would push it through is great, even a crochet hook would work. Ideally a rug hook would come in useful as well.
Let’s look at this carefully. We can use non-slip mating which we can buy or we can go for a more zero waste alternative and reuse old coffee sacks. The hessian sacking is so much easier to work with as it is a natural material with some degree of flexibility to it. I enjoy reusing and any regular visitors to my site will see that we really do like to upcycle what we have!
You may also like to try
