Rug hooking is a traditional American art that has recently seen a resurgence.
Hand hooked rugs sell in department stores and specialty shops with large price tags. But their current value belies their humble beginnings. Originally hooked rugs were made of clothing scraps cut into strips and pulled through burlap sacking in which they had purchased potatoes or other foodstuffs. Creative housewives would hook the fabric into colorful patterns or pictures of the things in their daily lives. Animals and flowers were popular decorative themes.