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How to Make Your Own Braided Rugs

In the late 19th and early 20th century, rugs were often made at home. They were a thrifty way to recycle old clothes and rags and provided inexpensive floor coverings using materials found around the house.

There are many techniques that can be used, but the easiest ways to craft handmade rugs require nothing but simple hand tools such as a sturdy sewing needle, crochet hooks, or knitting needles. The instructions included here will result in a small 16 x 32 inch classic oval braided rug suitable for the bathroom or in front of the kitchen sink. All you need is a simple sewing needle or quilting needle and strong cotton thread.

Cotton or cotton blended fabrics are heavy enough to lie flat without bulging. Fabrics with two or three coordinated colors in solids and small prints will make a nice color combination.

Things You'll Need

No. 24 sewing needle
Popsicle stick
Heavy quilting thread
9 yards of a darker printed cotton or cotton blend fabric
6 yards of a neutral muslin or cotton/cotton blend fabric
Quilting thread

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure you wash all the fabric separately. These rugs are washable, so if the fabric is washed before you put the braided rug together, you won't have to worry about all the colors fading together and making a mess of your masterpiece.
- 2
  Once the fabric is washed,dried,and ironed, tear the fabric into 3 and 1/2 inch strips. Make sure to tear with the selvage. To make this easier, you can snip the top of the fabric about two inches down every 3 1/2 inches across with your scissors. This will make tearing the strips easier.
- 3
  The strips should be folded lengthwise on each torn side so that each strip now measures about 1 1/2 inches in width. Wrap these folded strands around a paper towel roll to keep them folded neatly and to keep them organized. Keep colors separate and don't put too much on a roll.
- 4
  Start with the darker color which will be the center of your rug. Take three strips and stitch the top together fairly close to the top edge. Pin the top to the bed or attached to a coat hanger on the door. Start braiding just like you would braid hair. You don't want to make the braids too tight and you need to stay consistent. Stop when you are three inches to the end of the strips and tie the ends together in a knot.
- 5
  
  To make an oval rug, you'll need to have a long center row of about fourteen inches that you will fold in half. Sew these to halves together trying to hide your stitches. Sew each new row to the next and try to hide the stitching as you go around the center row. If this is your first attempt, you can make sure your stitches are on the bottom of your rug so they can't be seen. As you need to add more strips, stitch additional fabric to the ends and continue braiding your rug until you have seven rows of dark fabric.
- 6
  
  Continue this process of braiding, wrapping around, and stitching using the following pattern:
  
  7 center rows of your dark color
  4 rows of a combination of two dark and one light colors braided
  4 rows of two light colors and one dark color braided
  2 rows of all light colored fabric braided
  1 row of dark fabric braided
  2 rows of light fabric braided
  4 rows of a combination of two strands of light and one of dark braided
  5 rows that have a two strands of dark and one strand of light braided together to finish off your rug
- 7
  To finish off the rug, weave the three remaining ends into the rug one by one on the wrong side. Stitch the ends to the rug on the wrong side. Find a great place for your handmade braided rug and enjoy your masterpiece!

Recycled Crafts