Hooked Rugs as an Art Form

Many people are under the misunderstanding that hooked rugs are a relatively modern creation and that they come in a variety of patterns available with all the necessary supplies in a boxed set. However, this is not a true perspective on the initiation of the art of hooked rugs to the world. 

History of Hooked Rug Development

Hooked rugs actually date back as far as 200 years ago, and they originally were created in the New England states by women who worked from the privacy of their homes or through neighborhood “bees” much like the original bees of old quilting. These women were very frugal in their attempts to create rugs for use in their homes and often reused strips of cloth from old clothing or from worn-out blankets as their material for these rugs. All of the design patterns for the original hooked rugs were original as the woman creating it was left to her own imagination in putting the pieces together. And often times, they worked from within the social beliefs and standards of their lifetime and thus these cultural elements were evident in the work they produced. 

Hooked rugs are considered a very valuable part of folk-art development. The rugs were created by using a bone or metal hook to push a piece of fabric through a whole piece of canvas or burlap, creating a hook of approximately 1/2” to 3/4” in length on the top. They glued all of the loops seen on the back side of the canvas instead of knotting them as was done in Oriental rugs, and then covered the now-secured loops with a second piece of cloth to hide the loops. The rugs were then flipped over and the lengths on top were trimmed to the desired length creating the plushness of the rug. The combination of fabrics chosen created the varying texture to any given piece and added another dimension of its own not found in other types of rug creations.

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Evolution of the Hooked Rug as an Art

Burlap quickly replaced canvas as the base material of choice due to its durability and its accessibility in the mid-1800's as a recyclable material found in bags holding grains and the like. Its durability only provided more of a reason to use the burlap over the canvas.

These women tended to use a variety of patterns yet as the art developed, more intricate designs became prevalent and the rug creators began using scenic design patterns as well as shape-driven patterns. The intricacy grew as these women explored more detailed designs and the overall image created became more desirable and more fashionable.

However, the introduction of machine-made rugs at the turn of the century caused the demand for these hook rugs to decline. The machine-made rugs were less expensive and were more readily available as they did not need the time necessary to create an individual hook rug.

So the era of hook-rugs tended was lost as society grew into new technologies and skill bases. Yet the rugs of the original highpoint of the hook rug creation are still greatly admired and sought after by those who understand and appreciate the work and skill involved in their creation. Few newer hook rugs are being made yet occasionally one can find a woman still practicing the art of the original hook rug making. The rugs are still just as beautifully designed today as they were in yesteryears.