Video Tip: What are Damascus Edges, and How Are They Made?

Whether you’re planning to finish your rug with fringe or not, you’ll need to secure the warp ends after you take it off the loom. Tom Knisely suggests a few ways to do that, among them two types of Damascus finishes.

While Tom’s newest video, How to Weave a Rag Rug: Techniques for Creating an Exceptional Rug, provides start-to-finish instructions for preparing materials and weaving rag rugs, I’d like to give you a peek at how to make both the Damascus and half-Damascus finishes.

The full Damascus edging (left) results in fringe, while the half-Damascus edging (right) produces an unfringed edge. Photos by Joe Coca

Why two finishes? To give you options! The Damascus version results in a fringed edge for your rug, while half Damascus creates a clean edge with the warp ends threaded back up into the rug’s body.

Learn this technique with this quick tip video from Tom:

Simple, right? If you found Tom‘s video tip helpful, I encourage you to watch his entire video for essential information and helpful ideas for weaving your own rag rugs. It’s free for All-Access Subscribers, along with so many other on-demand courses, or you can click here to access just this course.

Happy weaving!

Lynn