The Absolutely Brilliant Way To Repurpose Rag Runner Rugs That Will Transform Your Ceiling

You may have heard of accent walls and accent pieces, but what about accent ceilings? Often overlooked, ceilings are parts of homes that are typically left bare and undecorated despite the amount of space they occupy. More attention is typically given to walls, floors, and other parts of your home. Seeing the vast overhead space as a blank canvas, however, can prove to be beneficial for your home. Turning your ceiling into an accent ceiling can create room separation in open floor plan homes. Additionally, there are ceiling designs that can elevate any room in your home, making a space feel and seem bigger than it is by making your ceiling seem higher.

So how do you start the process of spicing up a boring ceiling? Typically used to cushion hard floors or add a pop of design and color to a room, rag runner rugs, also known as chindi rugs, can do more than just accent a floor. As they are composed of colorful scraps of fabric sewn and woven together, once deconstructed, the abundance of fabric can be repurposed and upcycled into a unique and vibrant ceiling tent or canopy, making the process of adding texture and color to the higher space much simpler than you think. There are various top ceiling design trends we've seen in 2025, but this design is sure to elevate the overall look of your space.

From home goods stores to discount shops, rag runner rugs, like the Handwoven Multicolor Chindi Rug from Five Below, are quite easy to find. They come in many sizes and are typically made from a bunch of vibrant fabric scraps. The bigger the rug, the bigger and abundant the fabric pieces, so be sure to buy one or multiple rugs to accommodate for the size of your ceiling tent. Once you have your rag runner, take a pair of scissors and start to deconstruct it. This can be done by cutting through the sewn seams that keep the rug together and gently pulling the fabric out piece by piece. This will result in a large assortment of fabric scraps that will ultimately turn into a fun ceiling design.

After gleaning your fabric, you can start assembling your ceiling tent. You'll need some yarn or twine and something to secure your fabric to the ceiling. A heavy-duty staple gun, like the Bostitch Construction Staple Gun, should do the trick. Gather individual strips of fabric in varying color combinations of your choice, then tie them together at the ends to make it easier to affix to your ceiling and nearby walls. Keep gathering and combining the strips of fabric until you have enough material for your ceiling accent piece. To make your ceiling tent, staple one end of your combined fabric to a nearby wall. Create a draping, canopy effect by letting the fabric hang loose in the middle before securing the other end to a central point on your ceiling. Repeat the process with your remaining fabric to cover your entire ceiling or just a corner of it. Dealer's choice!