History of Traditional Swedish Rugs

Decorating the floors in different ways is an old tradition in Swedish homes.  At the end of the 18th century, rugs appeared in smart homes, but it was only during the 19th century that they became more commonly widespread. The reason was that paper pulp then began to be made from wood instead of linen rags, which meant that worn-out fabric could no longer be sold to rag merchants for paper production. Out in the cottages, you then had plenty of leftover material to use for carpet weaving, which resulted in the so-called rag rug. Old sacks, broken fishing nets and clothes that could not be patched began to be cut into long strips to be made into webs. The rag rug thus arose through the reuse of materials.

 Over time, carpet weaving also developed into a respected craft and the rag rugs began to be regarded as works of art for floors. The techniques frequently used were tufted, twill and rosework.

The rag rug still lives on today as an interior detail in Swedish houses and is one of their most loved textiles. For many, it constitutes the very image of a snug domestic existence. Nowadays, you can buy machine-produced rag rugs in larger department stores, but many people prefer the special character of the older rugs – a hand-woven rag rug carries a lot of history in its stripes.