Toothbrush Rag Rug

About this event

Materials saved from the landfill:

bedsheets, fabric

Skills you’ll learn:

buttonhole stitch, starting + finishing a circular rug, cutting fabric strips from bedsheets

Also referred to as “Amish knot” rugs, toothbrush rugs get their name from the tool used to make them. Toothbrushes, which were once wooden, had a hole in the handle giving early rag ruggers the idea to sharpen a used handle to a point creating the perfect tool for weaving scraps of fabric into a rug. In this class, you’ll learn how to begin a circular toothbrush rug, how to make the Amish knot or buttonhole stitch with a Perennial-made replica of the toothbrush needle, and how to finish off your project. You will leave class with a small rug that you can either use as a trivet or continue to build at home as large as you want it to be! We will also show you how to make fabric strips out of repurposed fabric or bedsheets for your project.

From Cristina Cousins