From a TikTok Idea to Handmade Rugs- A Young Palestinian Builds His Own Business

JENIN, West Bank / PNN /

As job opportunities outside Palestine dwindled after the war in Gaza began, Muhammad Abu Salah of Jenin turned to self-employment, launching a small business making handmade rugs after drawing inspiration from an idea he saw on TikTok.

What began as a video he happened to watch gradually became a production business built around custom-made rugs, allowing customers to choose their preferred designs, colors and dimensions to suit the spaces where the rugs will be placed.

Rather than relying on fixed patterns or ready-made designs, Abu Salah makes each rug to order, giving customers the freedom to determine its shape, design and size.

Abu Salah said the idea emerged at the start of the war in Gaza, when employment opportunities became increasingly scarce and prompted him to consider creating a business of his own.

The concept caught his attention after he saw examples of handmade rug-making on TikTok. He began by purchasing the necessary equipment and supplies and gradually experimenting with the process.

The early stages were far from easy, Abu Salah said. One of his first challenges was finding the right type of fabric onto which the rug threads could be stretched.

He initially bought a material resembling the heavy sheeting commonly used to cover olive trees, but discovered after testing it that it was not suitable for the work.

He then searched for other types of fabric and found an option that worked better, though it still fell short of what he needed. That pushed him to continue experimenting and looking for alternatives.

Abu Salah traveled to Jordan in search of more suitable fabric for rug-making and later expanded his search to Egypt and China, comparing different materials and supplies until he found the raw materials he considered best suited to his work.

Much of his expertise, he said, came through hands-on experience. Each stage taught him which mistakes to avoid, which techniques worked best and how to identify flaws in the finished product, repair them and improve the quality of his rugs.

As the products entered the market, the business gradually evolved. Abu Salah refined his production methods and developed new designs and materials based on customer feedback and changing market needs.

Rugs Designed Around the Customer

The business focuses primarily on handmade wool rugs. Their thickness varies according to customer preference, ranging from about 1 centimeter to 4 centimeters, Abu Salah said.

The designs are not limited to a particular pattern. Customers can choose the artwork, shape, colors and dimensions according to the space where the rug will be placed.

The products include a range of designs for living rooms and reception areas, classic interiors, children's rooms, bedrooms and hallways, as well as custom designs created at customers' requests.

Abu Salah said many of his products are intended not only as floor coverings but also as decorative pieces that add an aesthetic touch to a room.

The Challenge of Finding Raw Materials

Securing raw materials has been among the project's biggest challenges, Abu Salah said, noting that some of the materials and supplies he needs are difficult to obtain locally.

That has forced him to look beyond Palestine for the materials required to keep the business going.

As the project expanded, his work moved beyond wool. Abu Salah began experimenting with other materials, including silk, nylon and polyamide, to diversify his products and improve their specifications.

With greater experience and improved production techniques, the business also moved from making small pieces to producing rugs covering much larger areas.

Abu Salah said he can now produce rugs measuring about 12 to 13 square meters, while his production capacity and the scope of his work have continued to grow.

He said there is a market for handmade rugs, with customers interested in products featuring designs created specifically for them. That demand has encouraged him to keep developing the business and expand the range of materials and designs he offers.

Through trial and error, an idea that began with a TikTok video has evolved into a Palestinian handmade-rug business built around custom orders, local production and a determination to improve through experimentation and a relentless search for better materials.

This video was produced as part of the Media Support in Times of Crisis project, implemented by the Palestine Network in cooperation with the Palestine Journalism Hub.