hooked rugs

Hooked Rugs

Because there are many rugs and rug types to choose from in a carpet and rug store, you might need a little help. You will see that there are rugs with long shag and some with really short. Making this decision will be totally up to you, but knowing about (keyword) will help.

y Hooked Rugs For American Folk Art Tradition

Looking for something colonial, perhaps a little traditional, or folksy? Why not try hooked rugs for American folk art tradition in your home dcor?

Rug hooking has a long past and is considered a traditional American art form. In fact it is considered a folk art tradition. In just the last couple of years its seen an amazing resurgence in interest and demand.

Today if you were in the market for a hooked rug youd have plenty of choices. Department stores, specialty shops, carpet shops, and online websites are all offering a wide selection of hooked rugs and whats really amazing is the price tag these rugs are demanding. Pretty incredible considering their humble beginnings.

The original hooked rug was born out of necessity. It wasnt considered a work of art, it wasnt considered a luxury, and it was considered a functional item that warmed floors especially during the winter months and at the same time adorned the home adding a touch of color.

Originally it was made from scraps of cloth cut into strips pulled through burlap sacks. Burlap sacks where used for storage of potatoes and other food products.

Creative housewives learned to hook the fabric into colorful designs or pictures that represented occurrences in their daily lives. Flowers, animals, and pictures of children or families where very popular. If you are lucky enough to find one of the original rugs be prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for it and possibly even thousands depending on its history.

The actual process of hooking a rug is not that difficult and can easily be mastered in just one evening. But the ability to use variations in fabric, design, and style is what keeps weavers hooked.

To start all you need is some basic tools. If you decide you enjoy it and want to get more involved you can always buy some of the more specialized tools later.

1. Youll need to start with a simple pattern drawing of what you plan to hook. It could be a square, a flower, or any other shape.

2. Purchase fabric scraps that are suitable of your design.

3. Buy a hook. You can spend anywhere from $5 to $50 depending on the hook.

4. Since we seldom get our fruits and vegetables in burlap anymore youll have to buy a rectangle of burlap at a fabric store.

5. Scissors, masking tape, permanent marker.
6. Wooden canvas stretcher bars like the artists use.
7. Yarn that matches your fabric scraps
8. A large darning needle
9. Large straight pins

Thats it when it comes to supplies. Now its time to begin hooking. Here are the steps to get started.

1. Cut the burlap to 6" or larger than the frame you will be using. The frame opening is what determines the size of your finished rug....

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