Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
Rug-making is an ancient craft, and covers a variety of techniques. The most common types of rugs are by braided, hooked, knitted, and woven.
Braided rugs are made by sewing many little strips of cloth together into longer strips. The long strips are then braided together, sewn at the ends, coiled around in a circular or oval pattern, and sewn together at the edges to hold it in its circular pattern. Rag rugs were commonly made this way in households up to the middle of the 20th century by using odd scraps of fabric on a background of old sacking.
Hooked rugs are made by pulling strips of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base. A special kind of hooked rug is a latch hook rugs, which are made by pulling of fixed-length string of yarn through a stiff, perforated base. The strings of yarn are looped around using a tool and secured tighly to the cross-sections of the base. Different color pieces of yarn can be used to form an image when completed.
Woven rugs are any loom-woven or felted textile and grass floor coverings. The hand-knotted pile rug probably originated in Mongolia or Turkestan between the 4th and 2nd millennium BC. Rug-making was introduced to Spain in 10th century by the Moors. The Crusades brought Turkish rugs to all of Europe, where they were primarily hung on walls or used on tables. Only with the opening of trade routes in the 17th century were significant numbers of Persian rugs introduced to Western Europe.
Business
Rug making as a business is classified as an industry based on its purpose. It can be
in the manufacturing industry as a textile product (NAICS Code
314999) if what is produced is a new product,
such as a rug for the floor. It can be in the arts industry if the rug is considered
to be a work of art (NAICS Code 711510),
rather than a product.
There are a variety of ways people make money from making rugs. Some sell their rugs locally, at trade shows or via the internet. Others sell original patterns or kits they have designed themselves. And, still others teach rug making. The best way to learn more about the viabiiity of any of these business models is to participate in associations and workshops, subscribe to magazines that are related to your interests, and read books that give more in-depth information about the business.
Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
The Art of Rug Hooking
Pore through a gallery of color photos of rugs, and then use these patterns to
make your own. A complete primer fills you in on preparing the fabric; "stitches"
and loops; and more.
The Basic Guide to Pricing Your Craftwork
Basic formulas for pricing craftwork, retail or wholesale.
The Basic Guide to Selling Arts & Crafts
Step-by-step help on over 150 topics for marketing your home made crafts.
The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the Internet
Unravels the mysteries of selling crafts online with clear, step-by-step advice.
The Braided Rug Book: Creating Your Own American Folk Art
Learn essential braiding techniques to make basic oval, circular, and heart-shaped rugs.
Includes 16 more designs, both innovative and traditional, with fascinating history bytes.
Business and Legal Forms for Crafts
A complete set of business and legal forms designed to meet the active craftperson's every need.
The Business of Sewing, Volume 1
Sample price lists; lists of organizations and lending institutions; payment methods
you can offer your customers; how to get a merchant account for credit card sales;
how to collect money on past due accounts; buying in bulk with a list of
suppliers and a sample letter to contact them; business and financial plans;
studio design, networking; time management;
tackling your fears; turning sewing into a business and making the transition; how
to avoid getting frustrated; industry statistics.
The Business of Sewing, Volume 2
How to make a "Consumer Price List", and how to structure a "Working Price List"
and the use of both; what "Pricing" method is best for you and how to handle price
resistance; how to conduct production analysis with a time and motion
study; how to make a project inventory list; how to market your business;
subcontractors or fabricators and how to hire them; E-commerce and
on-line merchant accounts, web design, shopping carts and E-newsletters;
how to write books and articles, teach seminars and workshops, and produce sewing
audios and videos.
The Complete Book of Rug Hooking
Complete reference covers history, traditions, basic hooking directions, transferring
designs; hooking flowers, leaves, animals, birds, abstracts, etc., dyeing fabrics.
Complete instructions for 12 beautiful, practical projects.
The Complete Natural Dyeing Guide: 89 Natural Dye Recipes for Rug Hooker and Other Fiber Artists
Features 89 different natural dye recipes, from plants in your garden to mail order
dyes. Includes color photos of swatch material for every color formula, a handy
"Dyes-by-Color Index" and "Resources" section to get you what you need, and a
gallery of beautiful rugs created with these natural dye recipes.
Crafting as a Business
How to develop a thriving retail business.
Crafting for Dollars
Covers every aspect of starting and managing your own craft-based business.
Crafts and Crafts Shows
Good business practice in dealing with customers, pricing, and presentation in the show booth.
The Crafts Business Answer Book & Resource Guide
Answers to questions about starting, marketing, and managing a homebased business
efficiently, legally, and profitably.
Fabulous Floorcloths: Create Contemporary Floor Coverings from an Old World Art
Created from heavy canvas and adorned with paint, stencils, stamps, paper decoupage, or
fabric appliqué, a floorcloth can be a simple accent or a work of art. Consult this book
for excellent directions on materials, preparation, finishing, and an array of decorative
techniques. The 15 step-by-step projects are divided into simple, intermediate, and
advanced, so you can jump in at whatever skill level feels comfortable.
Handcrafted Rugs
In addition to wonderfully detailed instructions for more than a dozen methods (most
requiring a minimum of equipment), there's advice on dyeing, applying decorative
trims and edges, and designing.
Handmade for Profit
Hundreds of secrets to success in selling arts & crafts.
Hooking with Yarn: Tips & Techniques That Add a New Twist to Your Hand-Hooked Rugs
Features step-by-step instructions on using yarn in your hooking project, tips on dyeing
yarn and injecting beautiful color into any project, and pages and pages of beautiful
rugs hooked with yarn.
The Knitted Rug: 21 Fantastic Designs
Illustrated with more than 60 how-to photographs, this book gives advice on knitting and
embellishments, including embroidery, fringes, and tassels; and instruction on finishing
touches, such as weaving ends, sewing seams, blocking, backing, and lining.
Make It Profitable!
The best ideas and information from 80 professionals in various fields of the craft industry.
Navajo Weaving Way: The Path from Fleece to Rug
A compilation of Nol Bennett's earlier, out-of-print books on Navajo rug-weaving traditions:
Working with the Wool, Designing with the Wool, and The Weaver's Pathway. This book
augments the information in Bennett's previous works with all-new chapters on spinning,
carding, and dyeing techniques. Illustrations include photographs by John Running of
Navajo women carding, spinning, and weaving, along with detailed line drawings depicting
specific techniques.
Punch Needle Rug Hooking: Techniques and Designs
Great history of hooked rugs with yarn, and beautiful rugs to view. the book is of
decent size and a great addition to any rug hooking library.
Purely Primitive: Hooked Rugs from Wool, Yarn, and Homespun Scraps
Re-create the look of old-fashioned rugs with today's techniques. This comprehensive book
on rug hooking includes 11 projects that reveal how to hook rugs in the popular primitive style.
Rag Rug Handbook
Describes not only the art of weaving rag rugs, but also tries to give an historical
account of looms that were made.
Secrets of Finishing Hooked Rugs
Thirteen finishing techniques, 98 full color how-to photographs, and hundreds of tips.
The Secrets of Primitive Hooked Rugs
Includes information on tools, design transfer, color choice, cutting, hooking, and
finishing, close-up shots that show intricate details, and step-by-step instructions
to complete a Woolley Horse Rug.
Twined Rag Rugs: Tradition in the Making
This book introduces numerous pattern and equipment options with step-by-step diagrams
and photographs for nine samplers. Also included are complete instructions for building
basic equipment, ten rug projects, and tips for designing heirloom rugs.
Your Crafts Business: A Legal Guide
Explains legal principles that protect a crafts business and help it grow. It also
provides practical advice on how to deal with day-to-day problems -- such as dealing
with delinquent payments. The book provides over a dozen tear-out contracts and other
legal forms, plus step-by-step instructions to fill them out.
Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
American Craft
Celebrates contemporary craft, focusing on achievements in the craft media.
Anna: Burda Knitting and Needlecrafts
Anna offers a wide assortment of patterns for a variety of needlework styles,
including knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery, weaving, and other crafts.
Crafts
For the crafter seeking excellent original design, full-size patterns and complete accurate
instructions for how-to projects in general crafts, needle crafts and floral.
Fiberarts : The Magazine Of Textiles
Reviews national and international exhibitions, and explores new trends and issues facing the field.
Handwoven
Handwoven provides ideas, inspiration, and instructions to handweavers of all skill levels.
It features articles on special techniques, history and projects for the home and clothing.
Rug Hooking
For craft enthusiasts who are rediscovering the folk art of traditional rug hooking.
Spin Off
Whether you're beginning or an advanced spinner, Spin-off nurtures your success and
encourages you to continue discovering the joys of this timeless craft.
