The Ultimate Guide to Painted Rugs – Part 2: Choosing the right rug for painting artwork

What is the difference between rug painting and tapestry art?

The main difference between painting a rug and painting a wall tapestry lies in their purpose and construction. Floor rugs are designed to be heavy, thick, and durable—especially wool carpets—because they must withstand foot traffic and large room dimensions. Tapestries, by contrast, are lightweight, thinly woven textiles meant exclusively for hanging.

Transforming traditional floor rugs—objects carrying centuries of cultural, historical, and artistic heritage—into vertical artworks is the core vision of Mustov Custom’s Art on Rugs project. By lifting these woven masterpieces off the ground and onto the wall, the project celebrates the craftsmanship, symbolism, and extraordinary labor behind each piece.

How do I choose the right rug for custom painted artwork?

If you're new to painting on rugs—even if you’re already experienced in fine arts—you should start with affordable rugs that have simple, easy-to-work surfaces. Practicing on cheap printed rugs or any old, damaged wool or acrylic pieces you already have is the safest way to build skill without risking a valuable textile.

The most important factor when choosing your final piece is its color and pattern. Dark or heavily patterned rugs will swallow any paint or figure you add, making the artwork look muddier and more chaotic. Choose light-colored, minimally patterned rugs and avoid large-scale pieces at first; big rugs are harder to hang, harder to stabilize, and difficult to evaluate from a distance while painting.

Before painting, the rug must be fully prepared: even a brand-new rug should be washed, completely dried, and cleared of any detergent residue. After drying, brush the surface and remove loose fibers with a vacuum. Any protruding strands that disrupt the surface can be carefully singed with a torch—though extreme caution is required with wool and silk, as they burn, melt, or fuse very easily.

Once you've chosen the right color, the right pattern, and a clean, well-prepped rug, you're ready to begin the real work. Every rushed step will affect the final quality, so patience and proper preparation are key to achieving a clean, professional painted rug.

Are painted rugs safe for high-traffic areas or only for decor?

Painted rugs can be used on the floor—especially pieces dyed in a single color or restored with fabric dye. Even hand-painted designs can survive foot traffic if the right materials and fixatives are used. After all, every rug—wool, acrylic, or synthetic—is originally woven from pre-dyed fibers.

But here’s the real question:

Are you making a decorative floor piece, or are you creating an artwork?

If your goal is interior decoration, fabric-dyed rugs (as described in the previous guide) are generally safe for daily use. Many restored vintage wool rugs on the market are dyed exactly this way and hold up well under normal conditions.

If your goal is art, the logic flips. Ask yourself:

Would you lay an acrylic or oil painting on the floor and walk on it?

Of course not. Even though at Mustov Custom we tested our early acrylic-painted rug by placing it on the floor for six months without visible damage, that was with our own custom paint blend, developed specifically for textile longevity. Any hand-painted artwork will still suffer once it gets dirty and requires washing—cleaning will inevitably harm the painted details.

So distinguish these two categories clearly:

Decorative floor rugs → Fabric dyes, synthetic or wool bases, and washable processes are appropriate.

Artworks for display → Should be treated like paintings, preserved, and hung on the wall.

If you want a floor rug that looks like art but is actually built for durability, you should consider digitally printed rugs or commission a custom-designed wool, acrylic, or silk piece through Mustov Custom. And for all Mustov Custom creations—whether decor or fine art—we use at least machine-woven, antique, or 100% wool rugs. Synthetic bases are used only when a very specific color, pattern, period, or multi-unit requirement makes it unavoidable.

And one more overlooked advantage:

Wool tapestries and wall-hung rugs significantly improve room acoustics, which we’ll explore deeper in an upcoming post.