Circle of Waste Rug

A community project by Upcycle Newcastle

To watch the videos on making a rag rug, click here. 

What are we making?

In 2017-18 Upcycle Newcastle created a community made rag rug  from old t-shirts, clothing and linen. Over 350 people helped make the rug at a range of community events and venues in the Hunter region.

Why make it?

Upcycle Newcastle aims to demonstrate ways of taking responsibility for our own waste. We also work to show creative ways of making the stuff we want, from stuff we already have.

The clothing and textile industry uses vast amounts of the world’s resources – water, energy and land – and creates huge amounts of pollution and waste. One t-shirt and pair of jeans is estimated to use 20,000L of water. The cotton industry alone uses 25% of the world’s pesticides and herbicides. Fast fashion has created a system of unsustainable consumption of clothing and textiles that has huge environmental impacts.

Our Circle of Waste rug is a demonstration of a creative and collaborative way of re-using damaged, old and discarded textile items rather than sending these items to landfill or dumping them in other countries. (Have a read about the impact of second hand clothing in Africa.) It allowed us to have discussions with people about waste and consumption in a non-threatening context, and was also an engaging community building project.

Our inspiration

Fritz Haeg led a team of people in the US in 2013 to create the Domestic Integrities A05 rug. It grew to 27 feet (8m) in diameter. This rug was constructed in donut sections  for ease of transporting. They used a finger crochet method.

How we made it?

It was truly a community made piece, with donations of T-shirts from the Samaritans Foundation and individuals, and over 350 people (aged 5 to 92) contributing to its construction.

We used the Amish Knot or ‘toothbrush rug’ technique which is a blanket stitch using old toothbrushes upcycled into large needles. This is a traditional Amish technique of creating a rag rug. (To see another technique, see our videos on making a rag rug using a finger crocheting.)

Where is it now?

It is now at our home in Shed 7D (50 Clyde Street, Hamilton North).

If you would like more information, contact Cathy by email (UpcycleNewcastle@gmail.com) or by phone (0411 434 013).