A Rugged Hobby

How One Bellevue West Student Uses Rug Making as a Job, and to Give Back to the Community

Like many high schools, Bellevue West is home to a creative student body, Many students find unique ways to both express themselves and have a creative source of revenue. One such student is Andrew Carlson who makes rugs in his free time as a hobby, business, and even a form of public service. Carlson’s interest in the craft of rug-making was inspired by seeing it on social media.

“My sophomore year I saw it on Tiktok, and I thought, Hey that looks really cool,” Carlson said. “I decided that for Christmas that year I was gonna ask for some of the stuff that you need to set it up.”

Carlson said the process of making a rug takes anywhere from five to ten hours, and involves several steps which take a great deal of care.

“First you get the image that you want, then you have to reverse the image so that when you actually put the yarn into the backing sheet,” Carlson said. “Once you put the yarn into the backing sheet, it comes through in the image that you’d like. But first you have to reverse the image to be able to do that, and then you sketch an outline onto the backing. And then you take your tufting gun, and you put the yarn through it, and then basically all you have to do then is press it against the backing sheet. Then you go up and trace your lines. And then after you’re done tracing all your lines and shading everything in, then you can cut it out. And then you put glue on the back so that the yarn stays in. Then you can trim the rug to make it look a little nicer.”

According to Carlson, the associated cost of getting into rug making sits in the range of $150, a cost that includes items and supplies such as the frame used to hold the rug, backing sheets, tufting gun, and the yarn used in the actual creation of the rug. After the initial $150 investment though, Carlson said that the only items that need to be purchased regularly are backing sheets and yarn, which are relatively cheap.

To counter the cost of the process, Carlson often sells the rugs that he makes.

“I usually sell them depending on the size and how many colors of yarn they have in it,” Carlson said. “I usually sell it from around $50 to $75 so then I make a little extra.”

Carlson doesn’t just sell his rugs though, he also donates them to organizations such as Project Harmony.

“They help abused and neglected kids.” Carlson said. “They get to pick out a present when they go through a session with them, so I donated it for them.”

Other than giving back to the community, Carlson also takes satisfaction in a finished task and a job well done.
“My favorite part is probably seeing the final product when it’s all put together, because it does take some time to get all the yarn through, but when it all finally comes together and the final product, it looks really good,” Carlson said. “It’s definitely been entertaining for me, and it’s also a pretty quick way to make a little bit of money. You also get to make it for people, and it’s personalized and based on what they want, so I’d say it’s a nice hobby and good business.”

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