Start A Rag Ball Home Business
Weavers are more than willing to pay for good quality rag balls. Knowing how to prepare them is going to be important in whether they market well and if you will get repeat customers.
The best way to learn the amount of rags needed to make a good rug is to go to a thrift store and purchase seven pair of mens pants. Cut or rip the strips so that when you twist them fairly tight they are about the same size as a pencil. Some weavers like them thicker, but for the most part this size twist makes a really good rug. The seven pair of pants will make a very marketable rug of approximately 27 x 45 inches in size. I say approximately because different weights of fabric will weave up differently, but the equivalent of seven pair of pants will still make a salable rug.
The next thing is to keep your fabrics the same. Denim should be all denim, while lightweight cottons should all be equivalent in weight. Never mix knits with anything. The weaver will normally add her own extra splash of color if you make your rag balls all one color. Many homeowners love denim for their ability to soak up moisture from wet shoes, but they want a touch of their other colors they use to decorate embedded into the rug. The weaver will add that splash now and then as an accent.
Once your rags are all cut or torn, you must mix them all up in a box and then sew them. This method makes sure the strips of different color will be even all the way through the rug instead of a long line of red and then green, or faded and unfaded, etc.. If you plan to use lots of colors, mix them well and just sew them all. Many buyers enjoy the more primitive look the mixed colors can provide.
Sewing the strips together is done in various ways. Each weaver has their preference in how they are sewn. My own was to overlap the ends, fold in half and use a backstitch at the beginning and again at the end. There is nothing more frustrating for a weaver then to have the strips come apart all the time, so use the backstitch and lock them together securely. Some prefer the triple fold, but this method will eventually show as bigger bulges in the rug. I personally sewed a half moon line to lock the edges in place. You do not have to cut as you sew. Simply add your next overlapped piece and continue sewing strips together. When you have quite a bit done, stop and cut them apart and wrap into balls.
About a seven inch ball is good. Cut the strips apart and wrap the ball firm, but do not have any stretch to the wrap. The weaver will not be happy when she or he weaves it up and it shrinks back to the size it was meant to be. This will create puckers in their weaving.
Note how many balls you acquired from those seven pair of pants and then try to achieve that same amount using different types of fabrics. It doesn't really matter what the fabrics are as long as you keep them the same. Again, never add knits to cottons.
An alternate rag ball is the 'Prim' rag balls. Cut the strips narrow, sew and make tiny balls out of country plaids or other country colors. Sell them alone or make a bowl full and sell the bowl and all. Add a bag of potpourri to mix with the bowl and you have a whole new business!
You can sell your rag balls to local weavers or market them Online at places such as Ebay. To figure out how much to sell them for, use the same pricing others are charging and getting for their work. Again, Ebay will be a good place to view prices.
You may come across a weaver that will commission you to cut and sew customers rags for rugs she has orders to make. My advice if you choose to do this is to work with the weaver and cut, tear, sew and wrap exactly how they prefer you to do so. You will learn quickly and have repeat orders if take pride in your workmanship.