MAKE IT: rainbow rag rug
- Words by Peppermint
At a loss for what to do with all the unloved clothing and textiles cluttering up your closet? Have we got a (literally) bright idea! Track down your old sheets, t-shirts and tea towels in all the colours of the rainbow and transform them into a rag rug to brighten up your floorboards – your toes will thank you for it!
You’ll need
Fabric strips, rope, rattan or your preferred material (for a small rug, you’ll need approximately 40m)
A jumbo crochet hook (at least 19mm, depending on the weight of your fabric)
Scissors
Instructions
1. If you’re using old sheets or recycled material, start by cutting your fabric into strips about 5cm wide. You can tie all the ends together now to make one giant strip, or just tie the strips together with small knots as you go.
2. This rug is based on a giant spiral design. Start by making the centre of the spiral using a simple chain stitch with your crochet hook. To do this, select your first strip of fabric and tie a knot in one end. Thread the crochet hook through the loop you have just created, with the hook facing up. Take the loose end of the fabric strip and bring it over the hook, then pull it gently through the loop. Always keep some slack on the loop and never pull it too tight. You will notice that the original loop has moved off the hook and has been replaced with a new loop. Remember that you should always have at least one loop on your hook at all times.
3. Once you’ve made a straight length of about six loops, it’s time to turn the chain into a circle. Hold the two ends of the chain together so that they make a small, tight circle. Starting with one loop on the hook, find an opening in the opposite end of the chain and poke your hook through the hole. Now you have two loops on the hook. As before, hook the loose end of fabric and pull it through both loops. Now the two ends of your chain will be joined. Continue by poking the hook through the next opening in the chain (moving in an anti-clockwise direction), then pulling the fabric through both loops. Once you have gone around the centre a few times, press it flat and make sure it’s a circular shape.
4. Now you can continue winding the chain around on itself to increase the size of your rug. With one loop on the hook, poke it through an obvious opening in the previous chain. Hook the loose fabric end and pull it through. As you bring the hook to the front, it should now have two loops on it. Hook the loose fabric end again and pull it through the two loops. The two loops will move off the hook, replaced by one new loop. Repeat this process, moving anti-clockwise around the circle. As you go, the rows will become more defined and it will become easier to see which holes to poke the hook through.
5. Eventually, as your rug gets bigger, you will need to make each spiral a little bit longer so that the rug doesn’t start folding in on itself. Do this by adding an extra single loop to every few double loops.
6. Continue hooking and looping the chain until you’re happy with the size of your rug. Finish by tucking the final loose end of the fabric back into the rug a few times and pressing any knots down flat.
Et voila! You’ve lightened the load of your wardrobe and got a pretty lil rainbow floor to boot – you crafty thing you!
Project: Emily Lush
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“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
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The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
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Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
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Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
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We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
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Link in bio! 🪡🎨✂️
#PeppermintMagazine #MeMadeGifts #DIYs #EasyWins
