There were no dishwashers, but the old hollowed out wooden bowl and a good pair of hands seemed to get the job done just as well.  No rug shampooers, yet the tub out under the tree and a rug beater got them clean all the same. 

Rugs were not our fancy plush carpets, but bits of pieces of papas tattered and torn wool overalls that no longer covered the parts needing protection from the elements.  Each little piece of fabric salvaged became something new.  Most often, the wool scraps collected in a corner basket for a project during the cold winters.  When the scrap basket was full, those scraps became a penny rug.

A penny rug consists of wool fabric circles cut into three different sizes. Each stack of three was stitched onto a large piece of felting or canvas.  The penny medallions laid next to each other in rows until the entire canvas backing was covered.  Once completed it would make a wonderful rug to catch the dust as the family came out of the prairie sands.  Penny rugs were also made of brightly colored pennies and had decorative stitching around each penny layer.  The bright colors added a festive appeal to an otherwise drab cabin decor.  The finished projects became decorative pillows, bed throws, wall hangings and even mats for on the table.

The penny rugs of today have changed dramatically due to marketing strategies.  A new take on an old hobby produces salable patterns, fabrics and even more sales for the tools to make the penny rugs.  The difference in them today is that more embroidery and appliqué work make up the rugs versus all penny medallions.  Many do not even include the original medallion pennies.  The penny rug is nearly a lost art, so most rug makers do not even realize the work today is not the original penny rug our frontier women made.  The women of our ancestry would scoff and call it appliqué or piece work.

Appliqué penny rugs are considered a folk art.  The patterns to complete a modern day penny rug are plentiful.  All you need is colored wool, scissors, thread, needles, felt, and a good canvas and backing.  You can purchase penny rug patterns for your use at hobby and craft stores or find the penny rug patterns Online and have them mailed directly to your mailbox.  Penny rugs are enjoyable to make and delightful to display for all to see.