From Rug to Riches? My 10th Money for Nothing Transformation
After an almost three-year hiatus, I was delighted to receive a call from the production company asking if I'd like to take on another project for BBC TV show Money for Nothing.
For those unfamiliar with the show, artisans are challenged to transform unwanted items destined for landfill into beautiful, desirable pieces that can be sold for a profit. It's recycling with a creative twist — and I've loved being part of it over the years. When the producer sent over the photos of this latest item, however, my excitement was mixed with a little apprehension. I genuinely wondered whether I'd finally met my match... or rather, whether my sewing machines had!
The culprit? A rug.
Close up of the rug, showing the reverse of the pattern
This was not a flimsy little rug, either. This was a large, thick-pile traditional rug in remarkably good condition. In some ways, that was a relief. Two of the three rugs I've worked with previously had needed a serious clean before I could even think about redesigning them. This one, apart from a small stain on the fringe, was practically perfect.
The challenge wasn't its condition — it was deciding what to make and figuring out whether I could actually sew through it!
Sarah Moore suggested laptop cases, and I immediately saw the potential to showcase the rug's beautiful patterns in a larger piece too. We settled on two laptop cases and a matching travel hold all.
Stages of making the bag - I used the reverse of the rig for the front, added leather panels and a leather pocket inside with the repurposed sofa leather
To make the rug workable, I used my leather skiving machine to shave down the pile and reduce the bulk in the seams. Thankfully, it worked brilliantly. This allowed me to combine the rug panels with leather and create a travel bag that was both practical and not excessively heavy.
For the leather, I used dark brown pieces salvaged from a neighbour's unwanted sofa, while various pieces of hardware were repurposed from other disassembled items. In fact, the only brand-new components were the zips and bag feet. A true upcycling project from start to finish. And below are the finished pieces, ready for their new homes!
Completed travel bag and laptop cases
This marks my 10th project for Money for Nothing, joining a wonderfully eclectic collection of previous transformations shown in the montage below, including:
Three rugs
A water-ski rope and life jacket
100-year-old horse tack
Seed sacks
A bright yellow golf bag
Countless pairs of curtains (honestly, I've lost count!)
It's always a privilege to take something overlooked and give it a second life — although I must admit, this rug had me sweating a little more than most!
#repurposedrug, #upcycledproject, #sofaleather, #travelbag, #laptopcase
All 9 of the previous projects I have completed for Money for Nothing! I wonder what will be next! Watch this space for when the next episode is on TV