Make a Rug | The Art Assignment | Fritz Haeg

[@maggieedna]

This is actually weirdly timely in my life. my parents are getting divorced which I'm taking as my kick in the butt to finally and decisively move out (I'm about to graduate from college. its time) so I've been trying to get rid of a lot of my accumulated stuff. I have a lot of t-shirts which I never wear but cant quite get rid of. I love the idea of turning them into a rug.

[@davidshi451]

Do it with friends! Oh even better, invite people to help, and make new friends!

[@r.darling4135]

Also a step towards furnishing your apartment!

[@MrAlan692]

How'd it turn out?

[@42jjc22]

I just saw this today, August 8, 2014, and realized that a year prior to the release of this video, I had crocheted my very first rag rug. While it is not made of my old clothes (those were donated to people that could still use them) it was made from old cloth, with stains, tears and life-wear. I made them into strips and hooked them together using a 25 mm hook of wood. I had many contributors to it: those that had used the fabric before and its nonverbal story, friends and family that saw me work on it, and various animal companions (dogs and cats). It saw me through job search, tough times, moving and my new home and job. It lays dormant for now, in my bedroom, reminding me each day and night that my troubles, dreams and so many lives got me to where I am today. May it live on and grow in the future.

[@artisticintents]

I love what he said about the automatic motion of your hands when you are making - I guess this means I finally have to break from knitting and learn how to crochet!

[@LaurenFairwx]

I really love this one. I especially love that he included the specific instructions! I love crocheting but I've never tried it in this context before. Now, I just need to find some old clothes I can cut up and make into a rug! I donated a really large amount of clothes when we moved into our smaller apartment, but maybe I'll have a party and get my friends to bring some of theirs.

[@jessherselfable]

As a knitter/crocheter, I LOVE this assignment, and I love that it can be done with just your hands. :) Come on, John, you can do it! You don't even have to manipulate a hook!

[@nadiact-ie5hy]

I really hope John makes a video of him and Sarah (and friends?) doing this.

[@drewliedtke2377]

What's eerie is my fiancé and I have literally been making a crocheted rug for about three weeks now. She's a crafting wizard and we have a whole bunch of remnant fabric. We've been using a big fat crochet hook (a 'Q' size I think) and ripping strips of fabric at about an inch and a half wide. Sitting next to each other, she does the actual act of crocheting while I connect the strips. I love it because it's using all of our old scrap fabric and creating something we actually can use and enjoy. So far after 3 weeks of about an hour each night our rug is 3 ft in diameter. I'll have to post pictures to the Instagram and such.

[@theartassignment]

What luck! Great to hear, and we'll look forward to seeing it.

[@drewliedtke2377]

new development! our rug was featured in the recap! too bad it wasn't done yet. it's about 6 feet wide now.

[@megmotherwort]

I just got back from dropping off my old sheets and clothes to Goodwill, and then watched this. This is the 2nd time I've thought to myself, "I need that stuff I just got rid of for this weeks Art Assignment!!" At some point I hope to learn to stop getting rid of things and just plan to make art out of everything from now on.

[@ARTiculations]

Lol I had the exact same problem!!

[@megmotherwort]

At least I'm in good company, Betty!

[@blue9070]

wow it's been 6 years and i am coming back to this video because i forgot how to make the rug. 6 years later and my rug keeps growing. what a beautiful art assignment

[@maravelleheals416]

Don't know how I missed this when it went up, but I was inspired none the less. grabbed my box of dead clothes and started tearing. less than a 1/4 of the way through the box and my rug is ~3ft across. A word of warning... denim is difficult to work with, but of so pretty when its done.

[@danielwhite0911]

When I saw the title I was like, mmmhh maybe later. But when I actually saw the episode, I screamed out loud. Must do must do must do !!!!! Love this assignment. Wonder how you can just keep making great inspiring assignments like this.

[@NexPerPenicullus]

I have never done an art assignment before... but I think I will have to do this one, it's a great idea, and I can make a sort of "family rug" from the discarded shirts of my family members. I love this idea.

[@lauragek]

I'm very excited about this art assignment! I've been studying a lot lately and when ploughing through the articles my hands keep distracting me - I bite my nails, keep redoing my hair, keep wanting to look up random things that pop up in my head. I've been finger crocheting a simple string of wool to keep my hands busy and keep my focus. However, I didn't want to distract myself by looking up how to make anything but a string. I have a very long string of triple crocheted yarn and now I can turn it into something nice, coming from all my studying and learning! I can't wait until it's finished and showable :D

[@HayleyBarrickman]

From my crocheting background I know that's a slip stitch he's using except with his fingers! this is awesome!

[@ariellwrf6844]

Ive done a project like this. I knit a bathmat sized rug and traveled with it, had friends camp with it, etc. It has strecthed (I used 2 yarns and oversize needles) into a trapazoid shape almost double its original size, and the colors have faded and bled. I couldnt love it more :)

[@fancynancyketchup]

Holy crap. That's a really cool way of making a rug. I didn't think to use crocheting methods and old fabrics to do that. Totally not artsy, but I'm going to make one for my new apartment!

[@fancynancyketchup]

Ha, I guess that was the actual assignment. WILL DO, ART ASSIGNMENT. WILL DO.

[@HamzaSayedAli]

Impressed with this weeks assignment as always!

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

Thanks Fritz Haeg for a engrossing assignment. Your rug is like a portable spirit - catcher that gathers the essence of the participants interactive experience thus increasing vibrationally as well as growing physically as it journeys around. Cinnamon is his own personal rug ! :-) Sounds like John may need his Mom's help making a rug. I've never met a goat soap maker who wasn't good with their hands. Some larger thrift type stores have items they can't sell that they offer for free or cheaply. I enjoyed this video very much.

[@modestieispurete]

I've enjoyed past art assignments, but I've never been so excited for one before. I'm always looking for things to do with my hands, and knitting cramps them up so much. This looks like the same concept on a much bigger scale. Plus I'm about a year out from getting my own place, so it'd be really cool to have something like this...and I just realized my closet is overflowing, so this really couldn't be any better. I'm so excited to get started =)

[@terralynn9]

Well. I'm really glad I haven't thrown out / donated those two bags of old clothes yet. I was planning to do that in the next week or two, so this was excellent timing. I wish I could start it this weekend but I have plans. It'll have to wait until Monday. I've never done anything remotely like this so I'm pretty excited. Thanks for encouraging me to try new things!

[@annamaura89]

This art assignment has come at the perfect time! We really need to clean out our closets, definitely going into a rug!

[@Madamuuu]

Wow, the idea of using old strips of fabric for crocheting has blown my mind. I really wanna try this if I have the time, but now I'm thinking of what shirts I can cut up into small strips for making scarves when it turns autumn or winter ^^.

[@SomeoneCalledDana]

This is arguably the best Art Assignment yet. Love it!

[@Becca_Beam]

I'm really excited about this assignment! I love knitting and crocheting, but I've never tried making a rug before.

[@klainedify]

I've got so much scrap fabric from different sewing projects, this would be awesome to use them for.

[@himtraldi]

once when I had a school project where I decided to make a post apocalyptic costume, I contacted a thrift shop and asked if I could get the stuff they discard (there are a lot that isn't really resellable) to make it look old, worn, stitched together and in all authentic. THE POINT to this is, that asking thrift shops for those clothes could be a good source for the cloths for the rug. Though don't expect to get a full trash bag for free like me (I had a contact), but you might get it for a small price

[@artisticintents]

Agreed! Also, where I live has a kind of thrift store of donated craft supplies called Scrap, so if anyone has something like that in their area, it would be a great place to go for materials that already have had some life to them.

[@pacmanfan1214]

Interesting to stumble upon, since I started a new crochet afghan today. :D

[@ThatWouldBeCareless]

Omg I am super excited to do this properly. I just cut up a few t-shirts I was throwing out to give it a try and I'm hooked. I think I'm going to start over to make it neater now that I've figured out how it works, but yay :)

[@katienewman4743]

My favorite art assignment and favorite artist on the art assignment :D

[@ParagonBeaumont]

Coming back to this. I just moved and I have several interesting patterned clothes/bedsheets that I'm unwilling to get rid of despite being stained or having holes in them, and this is probably the answer I'm looking for.

[@Ixdontxknowxanything]

At first I thought the assignment was 'Make a hug'. This is almost just as good.

[@AnnaClaspy]

Make a hug on your rug!

[@ragnkja]

I need to go through my wardrobe and get rid of a lot of clothes I no longer wear anyway. This would be the perfect thing to use it for.

[@TylerMayMedia]

This is a great assignment! I love how this is even more hands on and tangible than I think all the previous ones. It was great seeing Sarah on the Education on KZbin panel at VidCon! You brought a whole different perspective that worked very well with the conversation..

[@nadiact-ie5hy]

My grandma used to crochet rag rugs before I was born. I wish it was possible to do this with her and my mom. (Wow, that was a downer.) My niece is very crafty; maybe I'll involve her in this. :)

[@FluffyLlamacorn]

As a knitter, sewer and all around textile loving person, who is currently going through my wardrobe to throw old clothes away, I am most DEFINITELY doing this art assignment! This is perfect for me. Might not start immediately since I have a couple of knitting projects I need to finish, but this can be an endless project anyway. (Also, HOLY SHIT, KZbin almost gave me a heart attack when I tried to comment and I thought I had lost all contact with my account for a moment.)

[@toswingonastar]

Now that I'm on summer break I am definitely going to be doing this one! I'm super excited... Although I just donated a bunch of old clothes so I think I am going to have to do some digging. I think I have some old fabric scraps in my attic that I could use.

[@drewliedtke2377]

Your local joanns or other fabric store will sell remnants at significantly discounted prices. If buying is an option at least...

[@lilliancarilo]

I love those rugs! What a wonderful assignment. My great aunt taught me to read, crochet, and embroider when I was a tiny girl... before Kindergarten; I love that I can still crochet - although, painfully, due to arthritis. I'm working on a throw cover at the moment, escaping into the quiet motion of the hook and yarn in my hands. I hope to someday have the opportunity to make a fabric rug like the ones in this #ArtAssignment Maybe John can send me his old t-shirts.

[@stete]

oh, I think this is my favorite art assignment so far! will do it, but it's probably gonna take a while. and I'm so happy to see the Parangolés shown in the video :)

[@shantideruyter4964]

This looks really fun, but I'm a bit confused by the tutorial. Is there somewhere else online that explains this in pictures and text?

[@alexclimbs9]

I really love this assignment. I love working with fabric, but I've never done crocheting before so that will be a cool :)

[@hannahmimiec8125]

For me this will be an assignment in patience as well as rug making :)

[@906181562]

Well, I am still a bit confused about how to do the rug, but that really is an amazing way of doing it! I have always wanted to have a rug at house anyway. Will do it, as soon as I have some old useless shirts!

[@Laufey9]

This is a good'un! I've always liked rugs like these and now I can make my own.

[@roomsoez1]

and i'm gonna make a rug for the hallway where everybody enters the home this is an awesome way of crocheting

[@gkriebz]

If anyone is finding the crocheting too difficult, there's another rag rug making method using a hula hoop that's more of a weaving kind of technique! Just google hula hoop rug if you want to check that out!

[@LeWiS2K9SMUDGEMOONED]

Sarah and John truly are the epitome of relationship goals.

[@guimatorres]

Hélio Oiticica!

[@nooodleproductions]

I really love this art assignment!

[@Venezia]

Best art assignment yet!! I love this project and want to try it for myself. Thank you!! :)

[@haaniyahali3504]

this seems genuinely amazing- cant wait to get started!

[@sarahjanecottrell3498]

I'm excited about this one, love to crochet and knit. Only, I'm not quite sure how to open it up to include others. Any ideas?

[@sarahjanecottrell3498]

well, here's the rug. Still pondering how to get other people involved. I'm pretty introverted, and of my few friends, I can't think of any that would be interested in an art project like this. I may have to be satisfied with letting my dog rearrange it for me each night after I go to bed. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=658018490956205&set=pcb.658018634289524&type=1&theater

[@ML-fw6yh]

I have some coordination issues as well as some fine motor skills issues so I think this might be hard, but it would be a great use of all of the old scarves and shawls that never get worn in my house.

[@annamaura89]

You can do it!

[@ML-fw6yh]

Thanks! That's actually quite a boost :')

[@VideoNozoki]

Can you do it with some friends? It seems like a fun bonding experience.

[@ragnkja]

Make the loops big enough to suit your needs, and I'm sure you'll end up with a lovely, soft rug.

[@ML-fw6yh]

VideoNozoki I've already asked a few and they're not really interested, I think I'll just go with Nillie and adapt the instructions to what I need. (some days the issues are hardly noticeable so I'm hoping for a few of those in a row to complete this) Thank you for the suggestions :)

[@hannahsimpson8540]

This looks like so much fun, I really want to try it out!

[@AnnaEwing]

Sweet! I have a couple of old stained club t-shirts from high school that I didn't want to get rid of because of their sentimental value to me and this would a perfect way to reuse them. :)

[@niteflitetheknitter]

That is an incredibly plush-looking rug. Looks like each stitch eats up about six inches of fabric depending on how wide the fabric strip is. If you want to cover more area using less fabric, I would suggest cutting narrower strips of fabric for a less cushy end product.

[@niteflitetheknitter]

Cool. It sounds lovely! My rug may still be thinner because I've already got some tshirt yarn cut narrower for a previous project. Maybe I'll work with two held together...

[@ParagonBeaumont]

I was excited to get rid of a bunch of string but I guess this makes more sense for everyone to pick up. I may do one with string anyway, or just figure out how to combine everything.

[@Rithene]

Ooh! You could braid/crochet that string into a thick (but loose) strand and incorporate it!

[@osmia]

I think a string rug would be cool.

[@bdermard]

I'm trying to make one entirely with finger-knit ropes, it's very squishy though...

[@1scatterbrainednerd]

If you hold 10 or 20 strings together (I'm assuming you have a LOT to get rid of) you could create a similar effect to using fabric (and it would look AWESOME) :)

[@derangedpinke]

new idea for performance art: do this art assignment while wearing a hook (like captain hook) and crocheting with it in a public space. i like it.

[@holymudblood]

It seems really fun and interesting! I wish I could do it. I can't wait to move out, because my mother doesn't let me do anything ...

[@JeniferGamelli]

My mother is a seamstress and I've been looking for a project to use up al her scraps ... I think i've found it!

[@Xenolilly]

Oh wow. This will be a challenge, but I want to tackle it.

[@xfronwenzyoucamex]

I've been wanting to do this. I guess this is my motivation. Though I think I'll make my rug with a big hook.

[@1scatterbrainednerd]

I really want to give this a shot-it just might take me a while to get to. I've got several knitting projects in progress that I need to finish first -_-

[@billygoatideas]

For the first 10 seconds I genuinely thought Sarah had no feet

[@wavy6617]

People in the comments: thoughtful response to actual content Me: PUPPY!!!!!

[@coucheater1195]

Can you make the detailed instructions available? Coming back to this years later and can’t remember how he taught to cut quickly

[@seriouslythisisjust]

John stands really awkwardly it's no wonder he always sits in his videos... it's adorable

[@Gluf3r]

You guys should setup some kind of place where we can submit art assignments. Maybe a hashtag or blog or something. Or even highlight some of the cool submissions at the end of each new video, with submissions from the previous week.

[@theartassignment]

Upload to tumblr, KZbin, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and tag it #theartassignment. We will find it and reblog!

[@12jorcat34]

"Yeah, but I don't think I can make my hands do the motion that creates the thing." I feel you john, but ima still try xD Great video guys!

[@tessiegril5736]

This looks fun to do.

[@TawnyPixie]

This would be a fun group project while I'm at BurningMan! Oooh, gotta make that happen...

[@gglaurengg]

Would this work with wovens as well as knits? Am I thinking too much about it? This is my favorite art assignment yet!

[@megmotherwort]

I think if you use thicker fabrics, it would be a good idea to cut the strips thinner than he did in the example.

[@mccgirl123]

wooooo fellow Minnesotan! :)

[@zasgat]

3:06 that stare, john isn't too happy about this

[@StudioBlixje]

Love it!

[@sophiaelliott8642]

I've been trying to do this and it works well up to a point. After a while it starts to curve upwards and looks more like a hat than a rug :( Does anyone know any tips for this, or should I just keep going and let it flatten itself out? I'm not very creative, but I'd really like to manage this art assignment and I'm starting to find it a bit disheartening. Help please!

[@danielduanetv]

I REALLY WANT TO MAKE A RUG NOW.

[@maggieedna]

I want to live in a geodesic dome SO BAD. SO BAD!

[@bookzlover]

Does anyone have an idea of how many tshirts I would need for a good sized (maybe 4 foot diameter) rug? I like this idea but I don't have any shirts so I might try to get some at goodwill.

[@1scatterbrainednerd]

There are actually a LOT of factors that determine how quickly your rug will grow and how much material you'll need (like how wide the strips of fabric are and how big you make the loops). So it's tough to say. If you're going to buy materials, I recommend bedsheets-you'd get a lot more mileage out of them than t-shirts.

[@drewliedtke2377]

We've been using scrap fabric which strips about 1.5 inches wide and we've gone through about a 2 five gallon buckets of strips. Our rug is 3 feet wide so far. We were surprised at how quickly it got used.

[@senshixdoukeshi]

My recommendation would actually be to get old sheets at Goodwill or other thrift stores. Bed linens tend to be very cheap second hand and here's a lot of fabric to be had.

[@WilfredGodfrey]

I just want to say that I love his dog

[@SandshrewSamurai]

I kinda want to buy new stuff so I can use my old stuff for this xD such a fun idea.

[@eggiez]

i really wanna do this woah!!

[@lightningmcgee]

Does anyone know why mine is a bowl? I'm not sure how to fix it. Any advice appreciated!

[@IamTheMozartMaster]

I REALLY want to do this.

[@sakuradeva555]

Wow awesome as usual :)

[@fossilfighters101]

I may not be first, but I'm fairly early, so I'm going to comment about it.

[@Authoresses]

I saw this video earlier, and there were no comments, but I wasn't logged in and was too lazy to log in xD

[@fossilfighters101]

Authoresses Yay Ah, darn. You could have claimed the honorable title of "first."

[@Authoresses]

I could have...but...I mean...the EFFORT...

[@PontusWelin]

Damn. I just got rid of a bunch of old clothes. This would have been a perfect thing for them!

[@jasonschneijder2012]

Same.

[@breadt]

I'd love to try this but I have very limited space at home.

[@TheDreadfulCurtain]

SO COOL

[@dannijt69]

looks neat

[@larissaspinola2866]

Oiticica!

[@davidshi451]

I'm just curious: is there a distinction between craft, and art? Or is that just an unhelpful divide?

[@LukeMcBash]

How would you wash these rugs?

[@doorrraaaa]

wow Hélio Oiticica! \o/ weird way to represent him, but make points showing the museum of modern art of rio de janeiro in the clip!

[@megmotherwort]

finished! The Art Assignment 10: Make a Rug

[@kaymayle2704]

How do you change colors?

[@cubeofcheese5574]

Oh no where did the instructions go?

[@Tigermond1]

Okay, I'm going to try this now. I'll probably fail, but then at least I can say that I tried.

[@Tigermond1]

Tigermond1 Hey, future-me here: You didn't fail. I mean, you failed to some extend and it turned out to look more like a sombrero than a rug, but you did it and it was great and a wonderful experience.

[@ilyem999]

How do you add on the next strip of fabric do you tie it on or sew it on?

[@therealwindshift]

you could tie it to the last strip your using or when you get to the point in the last strip where you can't make another stitch with it, using the last stitch in your chain, pull through a loop with the next strip. Leave the tails for both strips out, you can sew them back into your rug when it is finished. the second option will be more "attractive" in crochet stitch standards, but there isn't anything wrong with just tying them as you go.

[@drewliedtke2377]

What I've found is easiest is cutting small slit near the ends if the two strips I want to join. I put the short strip (or the one not attached to the rug yet) on top with the two holes from the different strips matching up, bringing the loose end through the holes and pulling tight. It's quick and doesn't require sewing.

[@haleyQQQ35]

Tie

[@convinceingvince]

Dog bloopers! :D

[@dazeddreamer4061]

Cute dog.

[@augustwogsland3309]

I had a lot of fun making my rug. I made a video about it, too. So yeah. I'm just going to stop plugging my channel in the comments now.