POTHOLDER RUGS, CREATING USEFUL ITEMS FROM WASTE

I’ve been making useful items from textiles on the way to the trash. T-shirts that were torn, stained, stretched out of shape, or just generally unloved have been blended with other random stretchy fabric items to create gorgeously soft and fluffy rugs. I started with a loom from crispina ffrench and some discarded clothing from family in November of 2021 to create my first ever potholder rug.

It has had many washes in my washing machine, fluffs in my home dryer, and still sits on the floor in the bathroom I designed it for. I love it, quirks and all as I learned my new skill. It should last out my lifetime!

Today, friends and family gift me their unwanted knit clothing so it doesn’t go to landfill. I purchase more from Goodwill bins before they are sent to far off countries that don’t need or want them either! I enjoy working with the bright colors of t-shirts, figuring out the various color combinations. I have made nearly 4 dozen rugs of two different sizes so far, saving over 100lbs of textiles from the waste stream. I feel good about that. I can’t control everything about our uncontrolled waste habits, but I can do my little part. Purchasing used is such a good thing for our planet, and buying beautiful upcycled items just feel like a win/win! And each of these items is one-of-one, truly a unique piece of art.

What is your favorite color rug?