There is something deeply satisfying about a rug made from things that were headed for the bin, and that is exactly why I love crochet rag rug ideas so much. An old bed sheet, a stack of worn-out t-shirts, a pair of jeans that finally gave up at the knee — cut into strips, joined into yarn, and crocheted with a big hook, they turn into something soft underfoot, gloriously sturdy, and completely one of a kind. No two rag rugs ever come out quite alike, because no two stashes of old fabric are ever quite alike, and that is half the charm.
So here are twenty genuinely free rag rug designs for you, every one written out in full or offered as a free download, and every one built from real rag material: fabric strips, t-shirt yarn, recycled sheets, denim, and selvedges. A few of them come with a companion video to watch alongside the written instructions, but the written version is complete on its own in every case, so nothing here depends on a video. Where a designer also sells an optional paid ad-free PDF, I have linked the free version only, as always. Two honest notes as we go: the bathmat from My Recycled Bags is a different pattern from that same blog's earlier t-shirt yarn rug, so do not mix the two up, and the mandala rug is credited to its original Tuts+ tutorial, not to any of the copies floating around online. Grab your biggest hook, raid the linen cupboard, and let's make something beautiful out of what you already own.
1. Cotton Strips Rolled Into One Long Rag Ball
We are starting with the most classic rag rug method there is, and Amy Solovay's colourful version shows it off beautifully. You cut cotton fabric on the bias into strips, stitch them end to end into one enormous rag ball, and then crochet with a big N hook until you have a rug roughly twenty-three inches by eighteen. The finished rug has that lovely nubby, slightly uneven texture that only real fabric strips can give, and because you choose the fabrics, the colour story is entirely yours — bright scraps for a kitchen pop, or soft neutrals for a calm bedroom floor. It is a wonderfully forgiving first rag rug, since the chunky yarn hides small inconsistencies, and it is heavy enough to stay put without a backing. If you have a bag of quilting scraps waiting for a purpose, this is it.
Pattern: Colorful Crochet Rag Rug by Amy Solovay at The Spruce Crafts — Get the free pattern
2. One Continuous Strip Torn From Old Bed Sheets
Holly Messenger Aamot's rug is the one I recommend when someone tells me they have no yarn stash at all, because its only material is a bed sheet. You tear the sheet into one continuous strip, which is oddly therapeutic in itself, and then work continuous single crochet rounds with a 15 mm hook until you have a round rug about two feet across. The torn edges soften and fray just slightly as you work, giving the finished rug a gentle, homespun look that suits farmhouse and cottage rooms perfectly. It is also a brilliant stash-busting make for a rainy weekend, since the whole thing can be finished from a single sheet and a single afternoon of steady crocheting. Choose a patterned sheet for a surprise of colour, or a plain white one for a calm, linen-like floor piece.
Pattern: Free Pattern for Crochet Rag Rug by Holly Messenger Aamot at BellaOnline — Get the free pattern
3. Big Men's Tees Turned Into a Round Floor Rug
ChiWei at One Dog Woof takes the t-shirt rug in a wonderfully practical direction by starting with XXL men's t-shirts, which give you the longest possible strips and the fewest joins. The full tutorial rounds are written out on the page, worked in the round with a Q hook, so the rug grows quickly and lies flat without any fussing. I love this one for a hallway or a children's room, because t-shirt yarn is soft, washable, and just springy enough to feel good under bare feet. It is also the perfect use for those conference tees and stretched-out favourites that nobody wears but nobody wants to throw away either. Pick three or four colours that go with your room, and the striped rounds will do the decorating for you.
Pattern: Crochet Rug from Repurposed T-shirts by ChiWei at One Dog Woof — Get the free pattern
4. Three Old Tees and a Little Upcycling Magic
Cintia at My Poppet proves that you do not need a mountain of old clothes to make a proper rug — three or four old t-shirts and leggings are enough for this upcycled beauty, which finishes at about fifty centimetres by thirty-seven. You turn the garments into t-shirt yarn, then crochet with a 12 mm hook into a neat rectangular rug that is just right beside a bed or in front of a kitchen sink. The pattern is fully written on the page, with a companion video if you like to watch a technique first, but the written instructions stand on their own. I especially like this one as a first t-shirt yarn project, because it is small enough to finish in a weekend and big enough to feel like a real accomplishment. It is also a lovely way to keep a favourite worn-out tee in the house, in a brand-new form.
Pattern: Upcycle Style: Crochet T-shirt Rag Rug by Cintia at My Poppet — Get the free pattern
5. Finger Crochet, No Hook Required
If you have never crocheted before, or if you simply fancy a change from holding a hook, Jane and Sonja's circular rug is a joyful surprise: it is finger crocheted, so your hands do all the work. The full written rounds are on the page, and the finished rug measures two to three feet across, made from t-shirt yarn worked in a big, soft circle. Because the stitches are so chunky, it grows astonishingly fast, and the texture is wonderfully squishy underfoot — more like a floor cushion than a flat rug. It is a brilliant project to make with older children watching, since every step is visible and easy to follow, and it is very forgiving of uneven tension. Make it in a single bold colour for a modern look, or stripe it with every leftover tee in the house.
Pattern: DIY Rag Rug: How to Finger Crochet a Circular T Shirt Rug by Jane & Sonja at Sustain My Craft Habit — Get the free pattern
6. Seven Tees and Simple Half Doubles in the Round
Sherri Osborn's t-shirt rug is refreshingly straightforward: seven adult t-shirts turned into yarn, half double crochet worked in the round, and a rug that just keeps growing until you say stop. The full written steps are on the page, free, and there is nothing fancy to learn — if you can half double crochet, you can make this rug, which makes it a wonderful confidence-builder for newer crocheters. I picture it in a bathroom or a laundry room, where t-shirt yarn's washability really earns its keep, and where a soft, slightly cushioned rug is so much nicer than cold tile. The designer suggests cutting your shirts carefully so the strips are even, and that one tip makes all the difference to how flat your rug lies. Save the brightest tee for the outer rounds, where it will frame the whole piece like a border.
Pattern: How to Crochet a T-Shirt Rug by Sherri Osborn at Hidden Treasure Crafts and Quilting — Get the free pattern
7. A Half-Circle Bathmat With a Curling Trick
Here is the bathmat I promised you would not confuse with anything else: Cindy's recycled t-shirt bathmat from My Recycled Bags is its own pattern, dated 2010, and quite different from that same blog's later t-shirt yarn rug. You cut t-shirts into quarter-inch strips, which curl naturally into t-shirt yarn as you work, and crochet a half-circle bathmat about twenty-seven inches from tip to tip. The half-circle shape is clever, because it hugs the curve of a bathtub so much better than a rectangle, and the cotton jersey soaks up splashes while staying soft underfoot. The full text is free on the page, and the finished mat is thick enough to feel luxurious without being so thick that it never dries. Make it in white and sea blue for a spa feeling, or in wild stripes just for fun.
Pattern: Recycled T-Shirt Bathmat Rug by Cindy at My Recycled Bags — Get the free pattern
8. Tapestry Stripes in a Neat Rectangle
Rachel Misner at Evelyn and Peter Crochet brings a touch of tapestry technique to the rag rug world with this rectangular t-shirt yarn rug, about twenty-four inches by eighteen. The tapestry crochet lets you carry colours across the row and build simple striped or geometric patterns into the fabric, so the finished rug looks far more designed than its humble materials would suggest. The full pattern is free on the page, and the sturdy t-shirt yarn makes a rug that can handle a busy doorway without sliding around or wearing thin. I love this one for a front hall, where a pretty but practical rug earns its place every single day, and where a bold stripe can tie together coats, shoes, and all the everyday clutter. Try it in two high-contrast colours first, then get braver with a third.
Pattern: T-Shirt Yarn Rug by Rachel Misner at Evelyn and Peter Crochet — Get the free pattern
9. Recycled Textile Yarn for Happy Feet
Lisa Geerts calls this one the Cozy Feet Rug, and the name is exactly right: worked in Hoooked Zpagetti, which is made from one hundred percent recycled textile leftovers, it finishes about thirty-two and a half inches wide and feels like standing on a soft, springy mat. The full written pattern is free on the page, with a companion video if you want to see the stitches in motion, but the written version is complete by itself. Zpagetti has a lovely chunky drape that makes the rug lie flat and feel substantial, and because the yarn itself is recycled, the whole project is a double win for the planet. I would put this one beside the bed, so the first thing your feet meet in the morning is something soft and handmade. Choose a cheerful colour and let it be the happiest thing in the bedroom.
Pattern: Cozy Feet Rug by Lisa Geerts at Free-Crochet-Patterns.com — Get the free pattern
10. Ten Hexagons Joined Into a Chunky Rug
Cintia returns with a completely different construction, and it is one of my favourites in this whole collection: ten chunky hexagons, crocheted in t-shirt yarn with a 12 mm hook, joined into a rug about seventy-four centimetres by fifty-three. Working in hexagons means you can crochet one motif at a time — perfect for evenings on the sofa — and then join them when you have enough, so the project never feels overwhelming. The full hexagon pattern is free on the page, with an instructional video to watch alongside it if you like, and the finished rug has a lovely honeycomb rhythm that looks wonderful in a living room. Mix your hexagon colours randomly for a scrappy look, or plan a careful gradient from light to dark for something more polished. Either way, the chunky yarn makes every hexagon feel like a small, satisfying finish in itself.
Pattern: Chunky Hexie Crochet Rug by Cintia at My Poppet — Get the free pattern
11. A Giant Spiral in Rainbow Fabric Strips
Emily Lush's rainbow rag rug, published in Peppermint Magazine, is pure joy in rug form: old sheets, t-shirts, and tea towels cut into five-centimetre fabric strips, worked with a jumbo hook of nineteen millimetres or more into one giant spiral chain design. The full written tutorial is free on the page, and the spiral construction means there are no joins to sew and no rounds to count in the usual way — you just keep going around and around, watching the rainbow grow. It is a big, bold piece, and it makes a wonderful statement in a child's room or a creative studio, where colour is welcome in large doses. The jumbo hook also makes it surprisingly quick, even though the rug itself is generous. Save your brightest fabrics for this one, and do not be shy about mixing patterns; in a spiral, everything goes together.
Pattern: Rainbow Rag Rug by Emily Lush at Peppermint Magazine — Get the free pattern
12. Rainbow Stripes From Old Clothes
Dedri Uys at Look At What I Made takes a quieter, more orderly approach to the rainbow rag rug, and the result is just as lovely. Her rectangular version is worked in t-shirt yarn made from old clothes — turquoise tops, a t-shirt, a dress — with a ten to fifteen millimetre hook, and the full written pattern is free on the page. The stripes fall in neat, even bands, which gives the rug a calm, almost woven look that works beautifully in a bedroom or a reading corner. I admire how this pattern turns a very ordinary clear-out into something you would genuinely choose in a shop, and the rectangular shape makes it easy to place beside a bed or a sofa. If your old clothes are mostly one colour family, lean into it: a rug in shades of blue or rose can be just as striking as a full rainbow.
Pattern: Crochet Rainbow Rag Rug by Dedri Uys at Look At What I Made — Get the free pattern
13. Striped Bath Rug From a Free PDF
Maria Weaber's rug is the one to reach for if you like your instructions in a tidy printable form, because it is credited here through the designer's free PDF — the post page itself states that the ad-free PDF is free to everyone, and the same pattern is listed on her own free PDF downloads page. Worked in Hoooked Zpagetti recycled-cotton t-shirt yarn, in a moss or linen stitch variation worked in half double crochet, it makes a striped bath rug that is thick, absorbent, and soft enough for bare feet. The blog signs simply as Maria, and her shop confirms Maria Weaber as the designer, so the credit is sound. I love this one in a bathroom, where the stripes can echo your towels, and where a handmade rug turns an ordinary room into something a little more cared for. Make two while you are at it: one for the bath, one for the basin.
Pattern: Hoooked Zpagetti Rug by Maria Weaber at Maria’s Blue Crayon — Get the free pattern
14. A Mandala in T-Shirt Yarn, From the Original Tutorial
Marinke Slump, known as Wink, designed this mandala floor rug for Envato Tuts+, and I am crediting that original tutorial only — not the copies that have since appeared on other sites, which do not credit her properly. The full eighteen rounds are free on the Tuts+ page, worked in t-shirt yarn or Zpagetti in two colours with a 15 mm hook, building a round mandala that looks like a piece of art on the floor. The two-colour design is clever, because the contrast does all the decorative work while the stitches themselves stay simple rounds. It is a showpiece rug, the kind guests comment on, and it suits a living room or a yoga corner where it can be properly seen. Choose colours with strong contrast — cream and charcoal, or sage and rust — and let the mandala pattern shine.
Pattern: Mandala Floor Rug by Marinke Slump (Wink) at Envato Tuts+ — Get the free pattern
15. A Round Rug With a Pretty Scalloped Edge
Christine at Christine's Crafts gives us a round t-shirt yarn rug with a scalloped border, and that little finishing detail lifts the whole piece from practical to pretty. The full rounds and the scalloped border are written out on the page, free, with a companion video if you want to watch the border being worked, and you can make the t-shirt yarn from old shirts or buy it ready-made. Worked with a ten millimetre or larger hook, the rug is sturdy enough for a hallway and soft enough for a bedroom, and the scallops give it a gentle, vintage feel. I picture it in a white or cream t-shirt yarn in a cottage bedroom, or in a bold colour as the centrepiece of a playroom floor. The border is also a lovely place to use up that one last special shirt you could not bear to cut up for the main rug.
Pattern: Round T-Shirt Yarn Rug by Christine at Christine’s Crafts — Get the free pattern
16. Old Jeans, Cut Into Strips, Crocheted Into a Throw Rug
Susan Brittain's denim throw rug, from Crochet For Dummies, is the answer to the question every household eventually asks: what do you do with three or four pairs of jeans that are worn out but too good to bin? You cut them into roughly one-inch strips, crochet with a Q hook in simple single crochet rows, and end up with a throw rug about thirty inches by seventeen that is practically indestructible. The full written pattern is free on the Dummies page, and the denim gives the rug a wonderful weight and a slightly faded, lived-in look that only gets better with washing. It is perfect by a back door, where muddy shoes meet their match, or in a denim-loving teenager's room. Keep the pocket pieces out of the strips, or leave one in as a charming surprise — a rug with a pocket is a rug with a story.
Pattern: Denim Throw Rug by Susan Brittain at Dummies — Get the free pattern
17. Quilting Cotton, Selvages, and Vintage Sheets
Amanda Jean Nyberg at Crazy Mom Quilts brings a quilter's eye to the rag rug, and the result is one of the most beautiful in this collection. Her rug is made from fabric yarn spun from quilting cotton, selvages, and vintage sheets, crocheted with a P hook in single crochet worked through the front loop only, into a rug about twenty-three inches by thirty-one. The front-loop-only stitch gives the fabric a lovely ridged texture that shows off every print, and because quilters tend to have the prettiest scraps, the finished rug looks like a quilt you can walk on. The full written tutorial is free on the page, and it is a wonderful use for those selvedge strips that are too pretty to throw away but too narrow for most projects. If you quilt, this rug is your stash's second life; if you do not, a bundle of vintage sheets from a charity shop will do just as nicely.
Pattern: Rag Rug with Fabric Yarn by Amanda Jean Nyberg at Crazy Mom Quilts — Get the free pattern
18. The Round Rag Rug, Three Stitch Versions and All
Dedri Uys returns with the round rag rug that so many crocheters treat as their reference pattern, and it is easy to see why: the full written instructions are free on the page, in single, half double, and double crochet versions, with fixes for curling and rippling and a choice of crab-stitch or back-post edgings. You can make it from t-shirt yarn cut from jersey cotton, or from non-stretch fabric yarn made from a duvet cover or sheets, so the same pattern gives you two quite different rugs depending on your stash. It is a different pattern from her rainbow rectangle earlier in this list, and a different shape too — round, not rectangular — so the two sit happily side by side in one collection. I recommend this one to anyone who has struggled with a round rug that would not lie flat, because Dedri's troubleshooting notes are worth their weight in yarn. Make it big, make it bold, and let it anchor the room.
Pattern: Round Rag Rug by Dedri Uys at Look At What I Made — Get the free pattern
19. Selvedges Stitched Into Yarn, Worked in Hexagons
Deborah Atkinson at Snowcatcher takes the most humble material of all — selvedges and fabric cut into roughly one-inch strips, stitched together into yarn — and turns it into a hexagon-construction rug that is as clever as it is pretty. The full written rounds are free on the page, worked with a Q hook and about thirty-four yards of your homemade fabric yarn, and the hexagon shape means you can build the rug as large or as small as your strip supply allows. I love the thrift of this one: selvedges are the edges most sewists trim off and discard, and here they become the whole point, their printed words and colours peeking out of the finished rug like little secrets. It is a wonderful conversation piece for a craft room, and a satisfying way to use up the very last bits of fabric. Save the prettiest selvedges for the outer hexagons, where everyone can see them.
Pattern: Rags 2 Riches Rug by Deborah Atkinson at Snowcatcher — Get the free pattern
20. No Sewing at All, Just Thrifted Bed Sheets
We are finishing with the simplest construction in the whole list, and sometimes simplest is best: Arica Aspenson's no-sew rag rug is made from thrifted bed sheets cut into strips of one and a half to two inches, joined without any sewing at all, and crocheted with a fifteen millimetre or larger hook in single crochet rows. The full written steps and a recipe card are free on the page, with a companion video if you want to see the no-sew join in action, and the whole rug takes about four queen top sheets. One honest note on the credit: the post page itself shows no byline, so I am crediting the author named in the site's author archive, which is where the name comes from. The finished rug is gloriously soft, washable, and thrifty in the best sense — a whole floor covering for the price of a few second-hand sheets. Make it in faded florals for a vintage bedroom, or in crisp white for a calm, clean look that goes with everything.
Pattern: No Sew Rag Rug from Thrifted Bed Sheets by Arica Aspenson at The Simple Home Place — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty rag rugs, my friend — t-shirt yarn and bed sheets, denim and selvedges, hexagons and mandalas, spirals and rectangles, every single one free and every single one made from material that already existed in somebody's home. If you are new to rag rugs, start with the bed sheet circle or the seven-tee rug, where the method is simple and the result is quick; if you are ready for a showpiece, the mandala or the hexagon rug will reward every hour you give them. Whichever you choose, remember the rag rug's golden rule: do not buy new fabric for it unless you have to, because the whole point is the story already woven into the old stuff.
Now tell me — what is waiting in your cupboard for a second life, old t-shirts or worn-out sheets or a pile of jeans, and which of these twenty is going on your biggest hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
