Resources on the Craft of Area Rugs

Stenciled Moroccan Rug DIY Tutorial
If you want to create your own stenciled Moroccan rug, check this lengthy but easy-to-follow DIY tutorial by Stephanie Woo, a blogger and a craft maker. Here, Stephanie listed the materials needed including the rug, stencil, cardboard, fabric paint, paint brush, tape, pencil, ruler, and scissors. An old newspaper is also needed where the rug is placed above during painting. Otherwise, there will be paint spots left on your floor. For the directions, having a neat preparation is necessary. This includes making sure that the stencil has equal widths so it will line up properly. While painting, Ms Woo suggests using an extra rice measuring cup to serve as paint holder and a spouncer to blot the paint on.

Rug Cleaning Tips
These rug cleaning tips for your Oriental or Persian rug from RugSpa.com can help you a lot. It's important to treat spills or stains as soon as possible, the article says, or they will further damage your rug. The article lists common household stains and tells you how to treat them. For example, egg, milk, blood, candy, ice cream, chocolate, sugar and salad dressing are treated one way, while oil, tar, butter and grease are treated another. It also covers chewing gum and ballpoint pen ink. The article tells you how to make the cleaning detergents you'll need for the various stains. Importantly, the article also tell you the kind of stains and spills that should only be removed by a professional: lipstick, rouge, nail polish, rust, dried mustard and candle wax.

Making a Toothbrush Rug
A toothbrush rug? There is such a thing, and this article touches on what a toothbrush rug is and how to make one, and provides complete video instructions. The toothbrush rug is made with a stitch similar to a buttonhole stitch around a fabric core. Though it resembles a braided rug, it requires only half the fabric it takes to make a braided rug. A crocheted rug takes the same amount of fabric, but the toothbrush rug is softer than a crocheted rug. The rug maker advises to use up fabrics from other craft projects and tying them into toothbrush rugs. The rug-maker also says they can match quilts if you use quilt remnants in them. A creative idea for a stunning match-up in any room of your choice.

Rug Hooking Magazine
As the magazine for rug hooking, this is certainly one of the definitive resources and a must-have for rug hooking hobbyists. You can subscribe to the magazine online and the digital edition also available for the PC, iPad, Android or iPhone. They also have a new online magazine called Rug Beat that's filled with human interest stories and tidbits that they don't include in the regular magazine. They also publish a book on rug hooking called Rugs in Bloom. So there are many articles, of course, also a hooked rug blog. You can get information about events and gathers. Online you can check out back issues, in case you find any feature that compelling enough to purchase a back issue.

Rug and Hooking Supplies
The Woolery offers a complete stock of rug hooking supplies including books, patterns, wool, yarn, printed patterns, bent scissors, hooks, hoops, frames, wool cloth cutters, thrummed knitting supplies and much more. Site features rug and mat hooking as a handcraft that originated more than a century ago. Today there is a growing interest in the use of many different materials to create original designs. Soon you will have your own collection of beautiful hooked mats and rugs that will eventually become your family heirlooms. Includes a gallery of rug patterns including landscapes, animals and other designs. Supplies include custom dyed wool, cutting machines, rug frames and hoops as well as rug hooks and prodders.