How to Make a Rag Christmas Garland: Festive Fun for Your Home! There’s nothing quite like handmade decorations to bring extra warmth and joy to the Christmas season. Today, we’re sharing a fun and creative project that’s perfect for adding a personal touch to your holiday décor— a rag rug Christmas garland! Not only is …
Category Archives: How To & Tips
Coiled Cord Coasters & Placemats – How much cord do I need?
Today I’ve been working out how much cord I need to make circular coiled rope coasters and placemats. This coiled cord rag rug technique featured on the front cover of my second book “Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners”. It’s great for making robust rugs, baskets, bowls and much more, but up until now I’ve always …
5 Beginner-Friendly Rag Rug Patterns
Hello, rag rug enthusiasts! Whether you’re just starting your rag rug journey or looking to expand your collection of beautiful handmade pieces, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re diving into some beginner-friendly rag rug patterns and designs which work brilliantly for the traditional shaggy (proggy), short shaggy and loopy (hooked) techniques of rug …
Circular Braid-in Rag Rug Instructions
I’ve been on the hunt for new rag rug techniques for years now and one of my latest obsessions if a form or rag rug making called braid-in (or sometimes braiding-in) rag rugs. It’s a style of rug making where strips of fabric are woven together using a basket weave then threaded through previous stitches …
My First Braided-in Rag Rug – What I Learnt
I’m always on the lookout for new rag rug techniques to try and was so happy when I came across Ilka White on Instagram. She makes braided-in rag rugs, as well as other beautiful, sustainable textile techniques. Having made a classic plaited rag rug for my first book “Rag Rugs, Pillows and More”, I was …
Making a Braid-in Rag Rug: Part 1
If you’re a subscriber to the Ragged Life Inspiration Newsletter then you’ve probably heard me rabbiting on about the September Sustainability Challenge that I’m taking part in in 2023. If you haven’t then you can read a bit more about it here. Long story short, me and four other full-time crafters are each making something …
Rag Rug Terminology – A Beginner’s Guide
It’s easy to get yourself into a bit of a pickle when talking about rag rug making as there are just so many different names out there for the same thing! What’s the difference between a proggy mat and a proddy rug? What is a bodger and why does it have such a funny name? …
Victoria’s Coiled Rope Basket
My mum Victoria is the original person who taught me how to do the traditional British styles of rag rugging (shaggy and loopy) and she has years of experience under her belt. It was therefore interesting when, over lockdown, I wrote my second book featuring other rag rug techniques from across the world. Suddenly, the …
5 Questions Rag Rug Beginners May Ask
There are many questions whizzing through people’s heads when they first start to rag rug. I’ve already answered a few of these crucial rag rug questions in my first blog post “7 Questions a Rag Rug Beginner May Have” and below is Part 2 with questions supplied by some of our wonderful Ragged Life fans, …
Rag Rug Stocking – Free Ragged Life Pattern
In the spirit of Christmas, today I’m sharing a free rag rug project pattern to keep you occupied through the cold days of December. I wracked my brain for what would be a small, fun project to make in the lead up to Christmas and couldn’t think of anything more festive than a rag rug …