For most Penn State students, the extra time inside caused by coronavirus pandemic restrictions led to never-ending Netflix marathons and way too many naps. For others, it has inspired creative pursuits and business ventures.

Two Penn State juniors, Jackson Long and Chris Greer, converted the pantry of their State College apartment into a custom rug-making studio.

The duo launched “Rug Drop” at the start of the fall semester and have been designing and producing rugs of all shapes and sizes entirely from scratch.

“The business means so much to us right now especially with all of the restrictions and COVID lockdowns that are in place,” Long said. “This is something we do in the pantry of our house in State College so we are staying inside, having a ton of fun, and learning a lot along the way. We have made so many new connections through clients and resources and it means the world to know that people actively take interest in what we have created.”

Their inspiration first stemmed from a video of the rug-making process that sparked their interest. After a bit of research and cost analysis, the two immediately got to work on the business.

“Chris is very artistically minded, while I am a rather business-minded individual, so we knew that we were the perfect pair to make this work and have a ton of fun doing it,” Long said.

Most of the initial process came from reading articles, watching videos, and trial and error with different materials. They quickly found a groove and found the pieces and process that works best and leads to a high-quality product.

“The pure creative freedom that this process allows us to have was what inspired us the most,” Long said. “We can take a blank canvas and make pretty much any design within reason come to life in a very unique way.”

The most important piece of their process is the tufting gun that they use to thread the yarn through a custom-built canvas. They’ve also created custom frames that hold the canvas up and use yarn to add coloring.

On average, it takes two to three hours of uninterrupted time for a rug to be completed when both of them are working on it simultaneously. Clients can expect to receive their rug or have it shipped within seven to 10 days.

The duo have reinvented the traditional rug to appeal to college students and folks who appreciate a modern twist on floor decor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGiJ19xpHIb/

Rug Drop rugs vary in price depending on the intricacies of the design and size of the physical rug. The shape can be a typical rectangular or the outline of any object.

In the past, designs have ranged from beer logos, Drake’s OVO owl, a circular Yankees logo, and Tyler, the Creator’s Golf Le Fleur print to personalized fraternity letters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHN-dfJJvzs/

“We love seeing the variety of designs that we can make and seeing all of the ideas come to life from scratch,” Long said, referencing his favorite part of the business. “We try not to make anything more than once so that all rugs are unique and we can continue to be versatile.”

The duo believes there is tons of creative potential when it comes to Penn State-themed rugs. They encourage all prospective clients to reach out to them to discuss design options, colors, and sizes to make sure their rug dreams become a reality.

Rug Drop is launching its first giveaway in December and is accepting holiday orders that are guaranteed before Christmas. Orders can be placed through Instagram direct message.