News stories and PR

Recent press coverage for Rugs to Love in local and national publications.

Press Release November 2008

New Christmas Gift Transforms Children’s Art Into Rugs to Love

Increasing numbers of families are choosing a new style of Christmas gift – getting their children’s paintings preserved for posterity as custom-made rugs. Rugs to Love in Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, faithfully reproduces children’s paintings by lovingly hand making the designs into high quality wool rugs of all shapes and sizes. Parents, grandparents and schools are calling on Rugs to Love to craft their loved ones’ artwork into unique gifts that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Rugs to Love is the brainchild of mother-of-three Kate Wilson who launched the company in November 2007 after getting a picture of a lamb painted by her youngest daughter May, 7, made into a rug. Since then a string of families and schools have asked Kate to help their children realise their dreams by transforming their paintings into soft, rich handmade wool rugs – each one a truly unique gift.

All the rugs are 100 per cent new wool – handmade in England by a team of women dedicated to reproducing faithfully the fun and talent behind each child’s original design. Kate said: “What really brings them to life is the sheer creativity of the designs and the happiness of the children when they see their pictures made into rugs. “My favourites are the ones that tell a story, like one by an eight-year-old boy who painted a picture of a deer that came into his garden and ate his strawberries.”

She added: “Our rugs are a ‘forever’ gift. They can adorn floors or be hung on walls as tapestries to capture the spirit of a family and its values.” Rugs to Love make the perfect gift for a child of any age, a unique, lasting and personal treasure. They are also the perfect gift from a child – ideal for grandmothers, mothers, fathers and new baby brothers and sisters. But they are not just for children. Rugs to Love’s eldest customer is a lady aged over 80 who wanted to bring her design to life. Rugs to Love can be made to any size but the most popular sizes are:

Also popular are Rugs to Love’s ribbon-bound gift cards – perfect as Christmas presents – which enable families to share the company’s special craft with their loved ones. To view dozens of examples of custom-made Rugs to Love, view http://www.rugstolove.co.uk/gallery.htm
For more information on Rugs to Love, please contact Kate Wilson, tel +44 (0)1725 517020, email: kate@rugstolove.co.uk

 

ABC Magazine – Dorset Summer 2008 From a hobby to a business …..

The idea behind Rugs to Love came from my children’s school, Castle Court School in Corfe Mullen, where each year the Reception class has done a project to help the children to develop their painting skills, understand composition and the application of art to a finished item. The teachers see the project as more than just a nice souvenir of the first year, but as an important step forward from free-form painting to more thoughtful and considered work.

I didn’t really mean to start the business, but having been asked to find a way of making it happen by Helen Hakimzadeh, Head of Reception, I was so thrilled by the quality of the rugs and the reactions of the children and parents that I decided to develop it as a business myself. I found a fantastic company based in Yorkshire who make all kinds of bespoke carpets and who were equally inspired by the idea to take it on. The first Rug to Love was made from a painting of a sheep by my daughter May – which became the logo.

My first step was to develop the website – using a local Dorset web developer – and then start marketing – initially to schools but also to magazines and newspapers – which resulted in a feature in the Daily Telegraph 50 Best Family presents just before Christmas.
The responses to the rugs have been fantastic – the children love them of course, but the comments back have been amazing – for example:
“We gave Gerard his rug for his birthday today, he was absolutely delighted! He said it was the best present he had ever had! The girls were thrilled with his reaction – thank you for your fabulous idea”
“Just wanted you to know that the rug arrived today and has been a HUGE success! Caroline was thrilled and we both thought it was beautiful”
We made one for the teacher who made it all happen at Castle Court as an end of year gift – you can see how pleased she was.
To make a Rug to Love each child produces their own painting. The process of designing the rug teaches them to think about how a design works, about composition and gives them a focus for producing some very high quality work.
Whilst this class based approach was the inspiration for Rugs to Love, there are many different ways that the idea can work for schools:
As a class project to take home – each child producing their own design to take home
As a class project for the school – a collective project to design a rug for a classroom, library or hall. As each rug is one-off, all sizes are possible.
As an individual project – a unique, special gift for, or from, a child.
Rugs to Love also offers cash-back Fund-raising opportunities for schools and groups – a £5-£10 donation back to the school or to a charity of choice for each rug ordered from the school, so PTAs or Friends of the School may be interested in a new and different fund raising idea. I recently exhibited at the NCPTA conference in Exeter and got a very encouraging response from the PTAs who attended.
Gift Packs are also available – a unique present for all ages.
The business is based in Dorset and the rugs are handmade in Yorkshire – supporting British manufacturing

 

Daily Telegraph - December 2007 "50 Best Family Presents"

Rug of Love

telegraph mastheadOnce upon a time, paintings done by grandchildren were merely displayed on the fridge door; now they can be enlarged and reproduced on bedside rugs. Prices: 50cm x 40cm (20in x 16in) size costs £65; 100cm x 70cm (40in x 28in) size costs £125. From: Rugs to Love, Dorset (01725 517020); www.rugstolove.co.uk).