Woven Rag Rugs, Floor Looms, Table Top Looms
Floor Model Looms and Table Top Looms
Old loom woven rag rugs that have stood the test of time are highly sought after by many collectors of vintage country memorabilia.
New woven rugs are also in high demand and can become a very profitable home business. My own thirty plus years of weaving greatly added to a family budget. Weaving is a lot of work and not always the cleanest job, but the product is good and never goes out of style. If you are looking for a good home job and do not mind a bit of dust, weaving is a fantastic home business for men or women. The investment does not have to be huge. There are new and used looms available all across the internet that will work fine to start your own weaving business.
Rag Rugs
The really old rugs are mainly used for decoration now, but if your looking for modern day loom woven rag rugs, they are pretty easy to find in many sizes and colors. During the summer months weavers market their handiwork at flea markets, art festivals, craft fairs and even at yard sales. Many weavers have found Ebay to be a very profitable means of marketing their weaving when using the right marketing methods.
Rag Rug Weaving Looms
There are many types and sizes of looms, and each is dedicated to a specific type of weaving. The ones this site is most dedicated to are those, which are able to weave the old time colonial rag rugs. The loom that weaves rugs can also be used to make runners, place-mats, and other small weaving projects. The floor loom, pictured above, is the best one for making rag rugs and other woven items. Some of the looms available are as follows.
Table Top Loom
Table top looms, like the one above are best used for place-mats, runners or other small weaving. The table top loom is an excellent starter loom for adolescents who would like to learn to weave. Once they are tired of it for the day, you can easily put it away for another day. Larger table top models can be found for rug weaving, but as an old weaver I recommend a floor loom for your rug weaving. They are not as easy to operate as a floor loom, and in my opinion need to be bolted down for proper usage. They are ok for beginners and if your space is limited. I personally have only used the table top loom for small project orders. You want to keep your large floor loom ready for wider projects such as rugs.
Floor Looms
The floor loom is the best loom for weaving rag rugs. It allows you the ability to pound them with a sturdy thrust that will make your woven rag rug tight enough to withstand a lot of traffic and washings. A used rug loom will work just as well as a brand new one if all parts are working correctly. Spare parts are often available from weaving supply companies and can also be found on the Ebay Mall.
As time goes by, you will find yourself wishing you had more then one floor loom. Between my sister-in-law and myself, we had six and all were warped up for different sizes of rugs, place-mats or other projects. When you also get to this point, look for a used one first. They truly are a great savings over a new one.
One of the floor looms you might consider is the Louet loom. The link provided will take you to our store page, which features the Louet loom.
Loom Companies, Warp and Weaving Supplies
You can find brand new looms too. A few companies are making and selling some great looms. Norwood Loom Company even makes a loom that can be folded up for storage. The suggested Loom Companies will get you started with your own new floor loom if you prefer not to buy used. If you are looking for a bargain we suggest looking in the index on the right, where we have already pulled up all the used looms we could find for your viewing by those selling them on Ebay.
It's A Tradition
Most every town has at least one person who continues the tradition of rug weaving on a floor loom. Some only do custom orders while others only weave their own designs, but most weavers will normally do both. It has recently become popular to own grandma's old loom to start banging out the product. Weaving never goes out of style and makes for an excellent part time to full time income.
Items For Weaving
Weaving rugs on a large floor model loom makes it easy to create a colonial woven rag rug. First you need to invest in a floor loom, which you can purchase new or used. Used are almost always just fine and can be fixed up to work great! You need the loom and the following tools:
Rag Balls: cut your old clothing into strips and sew them together or purchase balls home crafters have already prepared for you to weave. If you are not sure how to prepare your fabrics for weaving, you can learn which fabrics go together and how to cut and sew them correctly in our article, 'Start a Rug Ball Business'.Weaving Books: Books to learn many types of weaving can be found, but a basic book will walk you through the warping of the loom to your very first completed rug.
Shuttles:Shuttles are needed to hold the rags while you weave. Some of the best ones are the old ones. I have purchased several from Ebay only because they were the old time ones that you could see still had a good polish to them from constant usage. When buying brand new, it may take a little bit for them to zip back and forth with the same ease as a well used one does.
Sewing Machine: A simple stitch of forward and reverse is fine. One that is rated for heavy duty is best. The newer machines have plastic gears, so if possible purchase one with metal gears if you want to use it a lot with minimal problems. My old Sears Kenmore has been with me for over fourty years and still serves me very well.
There are other tools that will make weaving a lot easier too, but for the beginner weaver, this is about all you are going to need to get started.
To search for other online stores and weaving sources, which sell looms and weaving supplies, we have provided a customized search bar to help you locate those suppliers. You are welcome to also see what we found by clicking on those items in the site index.
Loom Sources: Loom Stores Selling On Ebay
The WINDERWOOD FARM Store carries the Ashford and Kromski looms at reasonable prices. These are both floor and table top looms.
If weaving is not exactly what you think you will enjoy, perhaps another type of rug making will be more to your liking. For More Rug Making Ideas such as Penny Rugs, Braided, Knit and others, Return To Old Time Rugs
You may also use the resources below and those sponsored weaving sites in the right sidebar to locate other sources that provide additional rug weaving information.