Saturday 19 October 2013

Braided Rag Rug in 4 Easy Steps


My kids and I have caught a bit of rug-a-luv fever.  We have three rugs on the go using different techniques and recycled fabric. The woven braided rug shown today was by far the fastest.


With just a few rug braiding supplies totaling $12.89 the three of us were able to complete this project in one day.


Supplies:
  • Recycled clothing or ripped fabric strips.
  • Floor mat ($1.25 at the Dollar store) or material base.
  • 2 tubes of multi-surface or fabric glue (waterproof).
  • Tapestry needle and yarn.
  • Scissors.



Step 1
Secure the top of three strips of fabric together. We used string.  An elastic band or tape is fine too.  If you have children who can manage a braid this is a great time to engage them in the rug craft process.  Continue to braid the fabric together until the height of the mat is reached with a bit of overhang.  


Step 2
Place glue (follow instructions on the tube because from experience some glue can turn your fabric a different color) on the mat and press each of the braided fabric strips down firmly in tight rows.  The glue took a day to cure outside in the fresh air.

Half way done!

Step 3
Weave or sew each braided strip together along both ends and trim any long pieces off the overhang on both sides.  We weaved the strips together and tied a knot at the end of each strip.  This step gave the rug a finished look.

Step 4 (optional)
Spray on Polycrylic to make the rug waterproof.

Please refer to "A Beautiful Mess" for more detailed instructions. Her rug turned out stunning and was the original inspiration for our rug.  We simply added the floor mat base to make the rug "non-slip" on our linoleum floors.



Our rug turned out better then we hoped for. It's beautiful, durable and feels wonderful on our feet!     

Feel free to share your projects and photo's on our Facebook Page.  We would sure love to see them!




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