I don’t know about you but this year, more than any other, I really want to find the perfect presents for my loved ones. There’s nothing like time apart to make you appreciate who you have in your life.
This year, I’m trying to avoid big stores and “shop small”, and if you’re trying to do the same then we’ve got some great rag rug gift options that we know will bring happiness to any crafter in your life.
I’m not saying that the below gifts will be perfect for everyone (Uncle Ron probably wouldn’t appreciate a beautiful ball of blanket yarn), but hopefully these ideas will cross a couple of people off your Christmas shopping list. Enjoy!
1. Ragged Life Beginners Rag Rug Kits:
Our Ragged Life Rag Rug Kits are the perfect rag rug gift for any lover of craft. They’re beautifully packaged, include all the rag rug tools and instructions to get you going and will provide hours of creative entertainment. Whatever your budget, we’ve got a kit for you. Prices start at just £19.99 for our Introductory Kit, right up to our “all singing and dancing” Ultimate Rag Rug Kit at £74.99 where you get everything, including a signed copy of my book “Rag Rugs, Pillows & More”.
What’s more, if you’re not sure whether your giftee will have the time to make a full rug, you can choose a kit to make a smaller project, such as a bouquet or cushion. So there’s something for everyone.
With quite a number of Ragged Life kits to choose from in our range, we know that it could be a little daunting trying to decipher which one would suit best. So, we’ve created a Kit Decision Tree to help you decide. Aren’t we organised! 😊 You can follow the decision tree below…
Browse our range of kits here.
Ragged Life Gift Cards:
Workshop Gift Cards:
Wondering what to buy the person who has everything? An experience is generally a good way to go. In which case, our Ragged Life Workshop Gift Cards are a safe bet. They range in price from £40 for a half day in-person rag rug workshop to £75 for a full day in-person class. The online workshop gift card even includes all the basic tools posted out to you!
You have a full two years to use any of our Ragged Life workshop gift cards and we are being super flexible in terms of which dates are most convenient and any changes as the pandemic progresses.
Our live online rag rug workshops were introduced during lockdown in 2020. Since then we’ve taught over 200 people how to rag rug over Zoom and it really is like being together in the room. We send out everything you need in the post beforehand and offer lots of help getting set up so don’t worry about not being a tech wizard!
Our face-to-face classes are generally either a full or half day, held in different locations across the country. Most of our workshops are designed for beginners to learn all the rag rug basics – how to use the equipment, how to select and prepare materials and how to do the three techniques of British rag rugging, however, we do run the occasional advanced class.
All our in-person workshops are friendly, informal and involve plenty of tea and biscuits. We always have fun and get some great reviews in the process which makes us very happy 😊
So what’s the difference between our in-person classes if you’re looking to buy a rag rug gift card? Our half day classes are the perfect way to dip your toe into rag rug making and spend three creative hours with like-minded people. All materials you need on the day are provided, including a latch hook to take home with you. We also schedule themed project workshops, e.g. rag rug bouquets, Christmas wreaths and many more, so gift card recipients can book onto those as well.
In our full day classes, once you have learnt the basic rag rug techniques, we cover all the best tips on how to design successful rag rug projects. After lunch, you then get the opportunity to begin a rug, cushion or other fun Ragged Life project, depending on how ambitious you’re feeling.
Online Shop Gift Cards:
Fancy buying a gift for a friend or loved one but finding it hard to choose? Well this voucher could be the answer!
With our latest gift card, the lucky recipient can choose from our whole Ragged Life range from kits, classes, yarn, hessian, tools, in person workshops and many more…..
The lucky recipient of the voucher can browse our shop and classes until their heart’s content. Once they have chosen, they can enter their voucher code at checkout. If the value of their basket is more then they can top it up.
Our gift cards can be redeemed any time within 24 months of purchase and we’re always putting new classes in the diary.
Browse our Ragged Life Workshop Gift Cards here.
Ragged Life Mugs:
This one is definitely for colour-lovers! You won’t often find any of the Ragged Life team without one of these close by (we are all self-confessed tea guzzlers). These bright and cheery, new bone china mugs feature rag rugs designed and made by us – the iconic Rainbow Rag Rug and the crowd-favourite, Cosmic Rag Rug.
As well as looking great, our Ragged Life Mugs are made from new bone china, which means they retain heat extremely well. What’s more, they’re bigger than the average mug, which means fewer trips to the kettle when you’re engrossed in rag rugging. We sell our iconic Ragged Life mugs for £5.99 for one (including P&P) or £9.99 for both designs.
Take a look at our Ragged Life Mugs here.
Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners – A signed copy:
Rag Rug Techniques for beginners covers eight different techniques of rag rug making from across the world, all of which are easy to learn and hard to put down. Starting with general techniques that are useful for any budding rag rugger – deconstructing clothing, how to cut your strips quickly etc… – this book is then broken down into eight chapters – one for each separate rag rug technique. This means that you can drop in and out of the book, focussing on the technique that suits you in the moment.
Each technique chapter covers the equipment you’ll need, a detailed run through of the technique including step by step instructions and illustrations, followed by at least three beginner projects. These range in size from large area rugs and a full-size rag rug Christmas tree to beach baskets and rag rug flower bouquets. There’s truly a project to suit everyone. This book is also choc-full of useful design tips and tricks, so you can benefit from all my years of experimentation. Basically, after reading this book, you will have the know-how and confidence to turn any old fabric and clothing into any number of lovely rag rug projects.
With high quality photography, plenty of handy tips and beautiful designs, “Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners” is the ideal follow up to Elspeth’s first book “Rag Rugs, Pillows and More”.
Buy a Signed Copy of “Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners” here.
Rag Rugs, Pillows and More – A signed copy:
For plenty of rag rug inspiration, project ideas and handy tips, my first book ‘Rag Rugs, Pillows and More’ is the real deal. It includes over 30 fun rag rug projects that my mum and I had a great time pulling together. There are plenty of beautifully styled photos and illustrated step by step guides to help you create beautiful items for yourself and your home. It includes classic projects, such as our rag rug wreaths, colourful bunting, a bright blue pouffe and many more.
Over the years my mum, Victoria, and I have learnt plenty of design tips and tricks, which we share in the book, so you too can tackle these projects and others with confidence.
At only £12.99 for a signed copy, “Rag Rugs, Pillows & More” is a perfect gift for any crafter in your life. I can even put a personal message inside to give it that extra special touch 😊
Buy a Signed Copy of “Rag Rugs, Pillows & More” here.
100% Wool Blanket Yarn:
At Ragged Life, we absolutely love our 100% Wool Blanket Yarn offcuts that come straight from the British mills. The range of beautiful vibrant colours and textures really do brighten up our office on a grey wintery day. Just look at those colours and patterns!
Of course, you can use these balls of blanket yarn to rag rug, but also for all sorts of different crafts, which is why they’re so popular with anyone who loves making. You can crochet, knit or even weave with them. I even had a go with ribbon weaving with it earlier this year. The sky’s the limit!
Not only does the yarn come in ready-cut strips, which saves time, but it’s also lovely and thick so covers the rag rug hessian quicker than regular fabric. It looks and feels superb, as you can see from this blanket yarn rug made by my mum, Victoria. Personally, we’ve never made anything that hasn’t looked great in blanket yarn. All the projects below were made using it, for example…
As if it couldn’t get better, you can also sleep easy knowing that by using blanket yarn, you are still recycling. As the remnant edges from blanket production, blanket yarn is simply more up-market recycling.
If you are struggling to choose which colours would suit your giftee best, we have a 1kg Lucky Dip Pack option for a reasonable £35 including postage and packaging. We pull together at least 10 small balls in a diverse range of colours and patterns, which gives variety, as well as the added element of surprise.
Thanks for reading!
Right, thanks for reading folks. I do hope our little run through gave you some great present inspiration.
If you’re still unsure what to buy and would like some advice then we’re more than happy to help.
Have a very lovely Christmas and New Year!
Elspeth x