The history of rag-rug making in England goes back hundreds of years. Ordinary people had no money or new material to spare for putting on floors so they carefully saved every scrap of worn-out material from all sources. These scraps were usually wool and later on coarse cotton. Remnants were cut into strips, sewn together and rolled into big balls to be made into rugs when time allowed. Old clothing and bed linen which had outlived their original purposes became valuable all over again.
Early rugs consisted of three major forms, identified by their method of construction. The first was made with a strong, firm cloth base to which other material was stitched to make it thick and warm. Rugs of this type included the so called tongue or button and patchwork rugs, as well as some shaggy or fluff rugs. The second type was made by interlacing one or more threads with the aid of some very simple instrument such as knitting needles, crochet hook or sewing needle. These included braided, crocheted and knitted rugs. The third major type consisted of rugs on a fabric with an open mesh through which yarn or strips of cloth were prodded with a punch, drawn with a hook or embroidered with a needle. These are now spoken of as embroidered, needle-tufted and hooked. The method used was primarily determined by the materials available and the skill or ability of the maker (usually the housewife).