Woven Rag Rug - blues

This one-of-a-kind woven rag rug is handmade in New Zealand out of strips of old 100% cotton t-shirts that are too old, stretched, faded, or otherwise not suitable to donate to an op shop.

The rug is woven on a simple wooden frame loom using a technique called twining. The thick rug will keep your feet warm in the bedroom, bathroom or kitchen, or provide a cozy place to sit on the floor and play with the kids. It would make the perfect zero-waste gift for your environmentally conscious friend or family.

100% cotton
size: 61 cm x 105 cm
Colours: white, tan, blues, greys, black

The fabric for this rug came from a donation I received of three large bags full of what appears to be one man's entire wardrobe from the 90s, when large waffle weave polo shirts were all the rage and clothing was still 100% cotton. Based on the stains and rips in his jeans (not used in this project), I'd guess he was a hard-working tradie. And his preference for blue and grey clothing provided me with a beautifully matching pallet of colours to weave with. I even used the fading in the shirts to my advantage to create colour transitions throughout the rug. Thank you mystery guy for hoarding your clothes and to your family for seeking an environmentally responsible way to get rid of them.

The rug weighs about 2 kg, so by buying this rug you are helping to divert a lot of textile waste from landfill. Plus, the wooden frame used to weave the rug was made out of offcuts from a home construction project.

The off-cut waistbands and cuffs from the t-shirts are used to make dog toys (see my other listings). Tiny offcuts are composted or saved as stuffing for other projects.

Postage packaging options:
1. (default) wrapped in reused soft plastic packaging
2. paper and cardboard only (does not offer protection against moisture/water)
Please state your preference in the comments when placing your order.