What is a peg loom rag rug?

Basically a peg loom is a very cheap way of reusing old material. Recycle your shameful old bedding or linen to create this homemade, old fashioned rug. An easy to complete relaxing project for the whole family. It is perfect as you can pick it up and put down completed within a few hours. This is more of an evening project than a weekend one. Have a look at the YouTube video for using a peg loom. By showing you all how to weave on a peg loom, I hope that I can give you some inspiration for other projects!

You will need:

A homemade peg loom or cheat and buy one here Wooden 12 Pegs - Peg Loom
An old set of threadbare bedding
A packet of Dylon – colour of your choice
A ball of wool in the colour of your choice.
Alternatively you can use raw fleece.

To Dye or Not To Dye?

Start with dying your bedding in the washing machine. By choosing your favourite colour scheme  it will really start to feel like a homemade project. Moving on from the material being dry, simply make some slits on one end. Then start ripping strips around a half inch thick. Next you will be able to tie a reef knot to connect a few strips and make one longer strip.
You are now ready to thread your pegs with wool, around three times the length you want the overall rug to be. this is where the homemade feel starts to creep in as you do not need to be perfect or measured in anyway.

What are the benefits of a peg loom?

Ideally you will be able to pick this up and put it down again. When you move up the pegs you can then pull them out and slide the material down the wool in front. As it is homemade it can mean the whole family get involved, you will need more strips ripping and this is basically the most relaxing part of the project!

Some people call this a primitive rag rug, I agree but as far as old rag rugs go this is pretty funky!

After I have got near to the length I want of the rug, I tie knots in the wool at the bottom. This allows me to relax about my weave falling off the end.

What else can I do with spare scraps?

Do not worry that you have the desired length but material left over as you can use the spare to make wheat heat packs in an easy sewing project.

Or you could go a bit left field and make some cotton scrap Pom Poms very zero waste and ultra upcycled! If you are looking for frugal crafts we have just started our No Spend Challenge and you may find some value looking at other ideas there.

You can chose to keep the wool as tassles or to tuck them into the weave for a more compact look

You are now ready to walk all over that rug and dream of cosy nights by the fire! Speaking of which we have a cute idea for a railway sleeper mantelpiece to get you all snugly for those winter nights!

The colour I went for is below, but the main reason to share with you all is to show that I used a Dylon which contained salt. This is a relatively new idea but one which works very well.

 

What else with a peg loom?

You can use a peg loom for rugs of all sorts. The best designs are your own and can be then used for wall hangings. Mix up the yarns and wool with raw fleece or scrap material. You can make a scarf very easily and it is a good way to use up a single skein of wool.  Why not try raw fleece?

 

Raw Fleece, is it right for you?

If you are using wooden sticks and want to weave with raw fleece, it couldn’t be easier. I have included one in my video that I made years ago with a fleece that was collected from some rare breed sheep where my husband used to work. The reason I was given them for free was the absolute state they were in. Covered in teasels and sheep mess. So I set up in the garden and popped some rubber gloves on. Once you get the hang of rinse and rinse again it can then become easier to take the thistles and muck out by hand.
You will need to dry the fleece and our little dogs set themselves the task of trying to eat it before it had dried, and there was bags of the stuff, so there would have been big fluffy tummies if they had succeeded.

What is Carding?

I carded the fleece, a process where you use a wide flat brush to gently pull through the fleece. It will remove the chunks, but do not be tempted to over do this as you will find it takes the natural ‘look’ away from the raw fleece. It is ‘raw’ because it is untreated. In my case it was also organic and from a reputable farmer, something you should 100% take into account. Once dried and thistle free you can then tease it into lengths. Do not over work it at this stage! As you are building up on the wooden stick the raw fleece is easy to hand weave.

King of the crafts!

You are going to feel even more like some kind of ancient crafts person with this one as you can really see this being a traditional skill. We used to have stone walls in our cottage and the raw fleece looked ace as a wall hanging. I think I would really give it a go and even try some natural dyes like henna or turmeric to add a bit of oomph as well.

Why not?

My advice would be to get stuck in. This is a cheap resource and you can go a little bit wild without it taking too much time. So peg loom weaving with raw fleece is just as easy as with rags and just as creative. You don’t need a pattern as such, just a bit of confidence to give it a go!

If there is sufficient interest I will do a how to video for making a peg loom but for now here is another link to buy one ready made, there is a limit to how much handmade even I can fit into one weekend!

Other Projects You May Like!

 

I hope this becomes your new hobby of choice! For more inspiration with how to use up your old rags have a look at rustic pom poms. For another rug project have a look at our hessian sack rag rug.

We also have a Scarf – woven with a peg loom which you will find a lot of fun. My advice is give it a go! IT is a very cost effective way to create a unique rug for your home!

For all of us who don’t enjoy making our own crafts I have included a link to a sustainable rug review from little mill house. Hopefully proving that it is possible to buy in an ethical way!

I am really getting into the swing of this upcycling malarkey and have even created the cutest Reupholstered Dining Chairs which look so shabby chic in front of a rag rug!