Toothbrush Rag Rug & Basket Making (Amish Knot Technique)

The Toothbrush Rug—also known as the Amish Knot or Coil Rug—is a no-sew textile technique that uses fabric strips looped and knotted into strong, durable forms. Historically, makers repurposed worn toothbrush handles into tools, threading fabric through a small hole to create rugs built from the center outward. In this beginner-friendly workshop, students will learn the half-hitch knot technique and create an oval rug base. Participants will then learn how to transform that base into a basket. This versatile skill can be applied to rugs, baskets, placemats, seat pads, coasters, and more. These rugs are exceptionally durable, often lasting decades, and can typically be machine washed and dried. For ages 13+, no experience necessary.

Torreah “Cookie” Washington is a fourth-generation needleworker and nationally recognized fiber artist based in Goose Creek, SC. Her work centers African American textile traditions, ancestral memory, and environmental responsibility through art quilts, Gullah rag rugs, basketry, and sculptural textile forms.

Fee: $72 (Eventbrite) + $45 materials fee to be paid directly to instructor on day of class.

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Host or Publisher City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department