Rug on Canvas From Yarn Scraps: Stramin, Binding, and Fringe
A step-by-step tutorial for a canvas rug: choosing stramin in the size you need, finishing the edge with 1-1.5 cm binding, marking a pattern, cutting yarn into 6-7 cm pieces, single-crocheting around the perimeter, and filling the cells with fringe following the pattern.
BeginnerFree
Translated
Things you will learn
The base is coarse cotton canvas — stramin — so the rug holds its shape and has a non-slip underside.
Even yarn scraps about 10 cm long work: for this project, they're cut into pieces about 6-7 cm long.
Set aside a separate skein of about 30 g for edging the rug.
The finished binding or tape shouldn't be wider than 1-1.5 cm, and its color is better matched to the edging yarn than to the canvas.
The discussion mentions construction reinforcing mesh as a possible substitute for rugs, but it's not worth using with expensive embroidery floss or silk.
What you'll get
You'll get a plush rug for an entryway, bathroom, or bedroom. You can draw the pattern yourself and put together the color scheme from whatever yarn scraps you already have at home.
Materials and tools
Materials
Canvas or stramin in the size you want, stramin is sold at craft stores; per the discussion, construction reinforcing mesh can be considered for rugs and simple wall panels
Tape or bias binding for the edge, no wider than 1-1.5 cm once finished; choose a color closer to the edging yarn
Leftover yarn for the pile, small skeins and scraps work well; cut working pieces to about 6-7 cm
A separate skein for edging, about 30 g, set this aside before cutting up the main yarn
Thread for sewing on the binding, needed for finishing the perimeter before crocheting around it
Tools
A crochet hook, the size needs to pass through the mesh cells
Scissors, for cutting the yarn and trimming the plush surface
Pins, for holding the binding or tape in place around the perimeter
A sewing machine, the source pins the binding on and then machine-stitches it
A marker or pencil for the pattern, the pattern is drawn on the right side of the canvas
Preparation
Choose your base
For a neat rug, stramin — a coarse cotton canvas for crafts — works best. If you're using construction mesh instead, save it for a rug or a simple wall panel, not for expensive embroidery floss or silk.
Sort your leftovers by color
The pattern is easier to fill in if you sort your yarn by color ahead of time and set aside a separate skein for edging.
Test your hook against the mesh cells
The hook needs to pass freely through the mesh cells. This isn't a rug needle with yarn threaded inside — it's a regular crochet hook for edging and knotting in fringe.
The Base and the Pattern
At this stage, prepare the canvas edge and mark out your future design. The rug's shape depends on a neat base.
Sew the binding around the perimeter
Pin the tape or binding and machine-stitch it all the way around the canvas. Once finished, it shouldn't be wider than 1-1.5 cm. Choose a color that's closer to the yarn you'll edge the rug with, rather than matching the canvas.
The canvas edge is finished with binding or tape before crocheting.
Check the width
Binding that's too wide will look bulky along the edge and get in the way when you crochet around it.
Mark the pattern on the right side
Draw your future pattern or design on the right side of the canvas. A simple outline is enough — you'll use it later to fill the cells with the right colors.
The outline helps you fill the cells with yarn following the design.
The Yarn and Edging
Prepare short pieces for the pile, and edge the canvas separately. This stabilizes the perimeter before you fill in the pattern.
Cut the yarn
Cut your leftover yarn into pieces about 6-7 cm long and sort them by color. Set aside a skein weighing about 30 g for edging.
Leftover yarn is cut into short pieces and sorted by color.
Short scraps work fine
The source specifically notes that even yarn scraps about 10 cm long work for this project.
Single crochet around the perimeter
Insert the hook into each cell and single crochet around the entire perimeter of the rug.
The hook needs to pass through the mesh cells.
Filling In and Finishing
Once the edge is finished, fill in the pattern with pieces of yarn and trim the pile.
Fill the cells with fringe
Fill in every cell following your marked pattern. Knot the yarn pieces in the same way you'd normally tie fringe.
The cells are filled in following the marked pattern.
Trim the pile and check the back
Trim the plush surface with scissors. The back of the rug should also look neat: the source shows an even mesh with no rough knots.
The back of the rug should also look neat.
Finish and variations
Finish
Where to use it
The source suggests a rug like this for an entryway, bathroom, or bedroom. In damp areas, it especially matters that the underside stays neat and non-slip.
Final check
Check that the edge is crocheted all the way around, the pattern is filled in with no gaps, the pile is trimmed evenly, and the back looks neat.
Variations
A pattern or design
The design can be anything: geometric shapes, waves, or blocks of color. The main thing is to mark the pattern on the right side of the canvas first and sort your yarn by color.
A simple wall panel
According to the discussion, the same mesh base works not just for a rug, but for a simple wall panel too, as long as you match the material to the yarn's thickness.
It's awkward to crochet the edge or knot in the fringe.
Likely cause
The hook size doesn't match the mesh you chose.
How to fix it
Choose a hook that passes freely through the cells. The source's materials list states this directly.
The edge comes out bulky
Problem
The binding visually weighs down the rug or gets in the way of crocheting.
Likely cause
The finished binding is wider than 1-1.5 cm, or the color matches the canvas instead.
How to fix it
Keep the finished binding no wider than 1-1.5 cm, and choose a color closer to the edging yarn.
The pile comes out uneven
Problem
The plush surface varies in height.
Likely cause
The yarn pieces were cut to different lengths, or weren't trimmed after filling in the pattern.
How to fix it
Cut the yarn to about 6-7 cm, sort the colors separately, and trim the surface with scissors once you've filled it in.
The mesh damages the thread
Problem
The thread frays or thins out as it's pulled through the base.
Likely cause
You chose coarse construction mesh with delicate yarn.
How to fix it
For expensive embroidery floss or silk, use craft stramin with a softer, rounder weave instead. Save construction mesh from the discussion for rugs and simple wall panels.
The technique gets mixed up with rug hooking
Problem
You end up wondering whether you need a special rug tool.
Likely cause
The discussion brought up a rug hook or needle, but the source describes a different operation.
How to fix it
This rug just needs a regular crochet hook that fits through the mesh cells. A special rug needle with yarn threaded inside belongs to a different, loop-based technique.
?FAQ
Can I use really short yarn scraps?
Yes. The source says even yarn scraps about 10 cm long work, and for this project, they're cut into pieces about 6-7 cm long.
What is stramin?
In this tutorial, stramin is a coarse cotton canvas for crafts. It helps the rug hold its shape and gives it a non-slip underside.
Can I substitute construction mesh for stramin?
The discussion suggests this substitute for rugs and simple wall panels: reinforcing mesh is sturdy and sold at hardware stores. But for expensive embroidery floss or silk, it's better to choose craft stramin, so the coarse mesh doesn't damage the thread.
Do I need a regular crochet hook or a special rug-hooking tool?
This method just needs a regular hook in the right size: it needs to pass through the mesh cells. A special rug needle or hook with yarn threaded inside belongs to a different, loop-based technique.
Why choose binding that doesn't match the canvas?
The source recommends choosing a binding color as close as possible to the yarn you'll edge the rug with. That way, the edge visually ties in with the trim rather than the canvas color.
Your project
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Stramin comes included in almost every tapestry embroidery kit, especially from Goblenset. But you can also buy it by the meter. Zweigart has released some really nice stramin with a rounded weave — embroidery floss slides through cells like that easily, without fraying or thinning out. I'm worried regular construction mesh would damage the thread ((
Sure, if you're embroidering on mesh, it's just not worth using expensive floss or silk. It's more of an option for rugs and simple wall panels. I think Bargello embroidery would look great on mesh.
I've never heard of stramin. What kind of material is it? I haven't seen it in our stores. Ladies, for rugs you don't have to buy stramin — regular plaster reinforcing mesh works too. It's sold at hardware stores, and you can buy it by the meter or in a roll. The cell size is 4 by 4 per square cm. It's a great base — super sturdy, reasonably stiff. You'll be happy with the result too.Show full quoteCollapse
I've never heard of stramin. What kind of material is it? I haven't seen it in our stores.
Ladies, for rugs you don't have to buy stramin — regular plaster reinforcing mesh works too. It's sold at hardware stores, and you can buy it by the meter or in a roll. The cell size is 4 by 4 per square cm. It's a great base — super sturdy, reasonably stiff. You'll be happy with the result too.
Stramin comes included in almost every tapestry embroidery kit, especially from Goblenset. But you can also buy it by the meter. Zweigart has released some really nice stramin with a rounded weave — embroidery floss slides through cells like that easily, without fraying or thinning out. I'm worried regular construction mesh would damage the thread ((
Agreed — very simple, interesting, and accessible! 😍
Could someone please enlighten me — what's the difference between a rug-embroidery hook and a regular one?
A rug-embroidery hook looks like a pen — the yarn is threaded inside it and runs out through a hole. As you pull it through the fabric, you get loops on one side and floats on the other.
BeginnerFree
I've never heard of stramin. What kind of material is it? I haven't seen it in our stores. Ladies, for rugs you don't have to buy stramin — regular plaster reinforcing mesh works too. It's sold at hardware stores, and you can buy it by the meter or in a roll. The cell size is 4 by 4 per square cm. It's a great base — super sturdy, reasonably stiff. You'll be happy with the result too.Show full quoteCollapse