New Border Ideas for Room-Sized Hooked Rug

August 2, 2009 2 comments | Updated October 10, 2019

Written by Cindi Gay

Doodles for potential rug hooking patterns
Border Doodles

I spent some free time in the Doctor’s waiting room.  On a scrap of paper I played around with some ideas.  The upper right is my current idea for the border around the rug.  I liked how the roses barge into the circle border.  The two rugs to the left may become rug hooking patterns.

When I originally started the room sized rug, I hooked the stair risers as tests for the border.  I had planned to use repeats of Queen Anne Rose. This was such a fundamental element of how I started the design, that it was hard to let go. 

Queen Anne Rose rug hooked stair riser
Queen Anne Rose stair riser

The rose I am using in the border is different from the roses in the center of the rug.  This is the rose from Queen Anne Rose stair riser. So I am using some of the design, just now how I originally intended.

I spread the rug out on the living room floor and placed paper cut outs where I wanted the roses for the border.  Below are photos showing how I drew up the individual designs using a fat marker.  After I cut them out, it is easy to move them around until I have an arrangement I like.  I am not going to get too worried about having them exactly spaced.  I like the slightly “off” look better.  When things are perfect, they are stiff and boring.

One example is the line around the circle border.  I originally hooked three lines perfectly in the ditch.  There was something wrong, it was too perfect.  I ripped out and rehooked the center line allowing myself to meander three holes on each side of the center line, trying not to make a pattern .  Then I hooked a row tight against each side.  Wonderfully planned randomness!

Designing a rug hooking pattern with paper motifs
Close up of paper pattern
Rug hooking border layout with paper motifs
Rug with paper patterns laid out for the border

Read More Articles:

Jackson as a Puppy Background

A simple step by step guide to achieve beautiful rugs

  • Free email series
  • Get short written instructions or a video link to a tip that will improve your rug hooking
  • I will mention my programs and courses, but the focus is on the lesson in each email.
  • ***This is still in development.  Sign up now to get the first lesson as soon as it is ready

Enroll in the free email course now!
You will get one short email per week. You can unsubscribe anytime.