Simplicity and Recycling: What is a Chindi rug?

Eco-friendly living is a mammoth subject and navigating your way may not be that easy. If the thought of decorating a home in the most 'green' way is top of your agenda, then you can not look past chindi rugs.

A rug can bring a fresh injection of colour to any room. You can style it with different decorative accents to create gorgeous rooms that exude character, depth and personal style. Created with sustainability on our mind, the Chindi rug is a considered design underscored by ethically minded craftsmanship. This recycled rug uplifts a home and is a timeless interior aesthetic, which makes it worth considering.

What is a Chindi Rug?

'Chindi' is a word from the Hindi language implying scraps of clothes. Chindi, or the rag rug, is a name given to the floor covering created in a cluster of villages and towns of Northern and Deccan India.

They are an aesthetically pleasing addition to your home due to their handmade nature, and often a colour palette of bold and playful hues. The hand-plaited technique adds an element of subtle texture to any space and completely transforms your space with colour.

How green is my Chindi Rug?

A chindi rug utilises carefully sourced natural fibres such as cotton, which are hand-braided and sewn in different shapes to create a vibrant beauty. Since Aksa is a fair trade shop, you can relax knowing your rug has been made with sustainability and empowers the artisans who hand-crafted this.

The raw material can be sourced from either the textile industry (post-industrial, byproduct or waste) or from the end-of-life residue of fabrics in use in households (post-consumer).

It is a playful way to create a whole new mood in your home. These rugs come in vibrant colours and neutral shades.

How is a rag rug made?

There are many rag rug techniques - loopy, shaggy, peg loom, coiled rope, locker hooking, twining and braided (or woven). Rag rugging has existed since the eighteenth century or maybe prior in many countries across the world.

In India, 'Chindi' refers to the braid technique. Since a chindi rug is made by weaving pieces of torn clothes together, the process is a bit comprehensive.

• The first step involves gathering the raw materials, which are essentially a large quantity of cloth strips, typically made from cotton. Our artisans use non-textured fabric offsets of cotton (textile waste) that are easier to work with compared to stiffer fabrics that are harder to bend. 
• These cloth strips are then washed and sorted into huge piles based on their colour.
• Next, the cloth is cut out into equally long and wide strips. This step leaves the edges of the fabric raw, hence vulnerable to ravelling (falling apart) and shedding. Fabric choice is important as it decides the extent of ravelling and shedding.
• Since a rug can be given a shape, albeit rectangular and circular/round shapes are most popular, the product designer and artisan finalise the shape, size, and design patterns for the rug.
• Once that is done, all desired strips are hand-braided per the required specifications. Artisans can either braid so that any seams are on the underside of the braid, or they need to hem the yarn strips before braiding to avoid seams.
• When balls of yarn come to an end, artisans attach the next ball of yarn to it. This allows them to continue braiding for the desired size.
• The next step is to sew together the overlapping braid pieces. Stitching the braids together can be tricky and is usually done in a clockwise direction. The end of the braid is attached to the curved corner so that it blends in. 
• Once the end of the braid is trimmed and sewn to the rest of the rug, a timeless, handcrafted rag rug is ready to use.
  

Conclusion

Aksa's philosophy is closely connected to nature and people. Our simple yet functional products reflect this. You can check out our colourful chindi area rug here.