Braided Rug - Scrap Rug TUTORIAL

Braided rugs, also called scrap rugs, used to be made from worn out clothing and household linen scraps. It was a great way to recycle cloth! Today the rugs are still popular and can be quite expensive. But they are also a fun project to do yourself. You can, of course, use scrap linens, and create a colorful, unusual, completely unique rug. Or, as I will do, you can purchase fabrics of your choice to create a rug that suits your color preferences.

I am going to work on a rug designed to look nice in my kitchen, which has a new hickory hard-wood floor. (Thanks, hubby!!) After having lunch in a rustic, country-style restaurant yesterday, I came home full of ideas for making our kitchen area look more Adirondacky and country-ish. The restaurant had a lot of maroon and green and white. Loved the maroon, but wanted to add deep blue to the mix - my favorite. So. First things first.....

STEP ONE: Decided what you want your carpet to look like. You will be braiding with three fabric strips at a time. Do you want one color throughout? Two? Three? Two solids and one patterned? Are you going to change the colors, or combinations of colors, in the middle of the rug? Will one color dominate? Are you going to use scraps that you have? Think hard about this one. You don't want to get half-way through and change your mind. =)

STEP TWO: Decide what size you want your rug to be. Also, what shape. Will it be round? Or wider on two sides? This will determine, obviously, how much material you will need.

STEP THREE: Collect your supplies. You will need:

+Fabric. Now I am guessing here, because this is a first for me, too. But I am planning to make a 6' rug. I am going to buy 2/3 yard of each of my colors. My thinking is that 2/3 yard strips (24") would make a nice fabric strip length to work with. I'm going to start with this, anyhow, and come back and change this section if need be. Some folks know exactly what they want their project to look like finished. I am more of a figure it out as I go type (not always) so I will start with equal amounts of my colors, and go from there.

+A sewing machine. If you don't have a sewing machine, don't despair. We'll make it work!

+Heavy thread for sewing your ropes together

+A large sewing needle. I plan to use a metal yard needle

+Scissors

+Rotary cutter (not critical, but very helpful) and cutting mat

+Regular weight thread that matches your fabric choices

STEP FOUR: Prepare your fabric. Wash/dry. Cut on the length-wise grain into 2" strips. So mine will be approximately 2" x 24".

Here are my fabrics.









 For my practice rope, I used regular sewing shears, and guessed at the width. Very inconsistent. For the "real" strips I used my rotary cutter and cutting mat. The mat has measured marks, so I was able to be pretty precise. Much neater. If you're using heavier materials, thinner strips work well. Very thin = wider strips. My fabric is cotton woven. Next to my rotary cutter in the photo is a package of plastic needles I bought today, because I've misplaced my metal yarn needle. These should work fine.

2" mark.

 Nice neat strips.









I am anxious to start braiding, but it will be much easier to move along if I have a good collection of strips to work with. So I'm forcing myself to be patient, and get this done first.






STEP 5: Attach strips together, and begin braiding.

 Ok, I lied. I cut a few strips, and now I'm gonna braid! Oh well, I'll just cut more when I run out.

I have decided to use two of my three colors for the center of my rug. So I have stacked two blue strips and one red strip. I used my sewing machine to attach them together, by sewing a line across the top about 1/4' in. For those without a sewing machine, hand-sew with a strong thread.

 Here I am using my sewing machine to hold my strips firmly so I can braid without the strips twisting. You can also create a loop in the end to secure around a door knob, or chair leg, or anything that will hold the strips securely.

 As you are braiding, you will want to fold the fabric strips so that the edges don't show. Turn the raw edges into the middle (as I've shown) then fold in half. You will be doing this with the right side of the fabric facing up. I've just shown it upside down so you can see what I mean. It takes a little getting used to, but it's definitely worth the effort. I've read online that some people actually iron their strips this way before braiding. I'm not doing that, but maybe in the future, I'll give it a try.

 Here is my first strip, sides tucked in, and folded in half.

And we're off. Braid your strips until you are a few inches away from the ends. Don't braid too close to the end, as you will want a little room to work with when adding strips on.

 Here's my rope so far.









STEP 6: Attaching new strips.

 To add a new strip on, place the new strip on to the end of the strip that's finishing, RIGHT sides together, as shown. Place the new one at a right-angle. Read through this part before doing it, to be sure you have the new strip in the right place.

 You will be stitching (machine or hand) across both pieces so that it leaves a corner that can be cut off. Cut close to the stitching, but be cautious not to cut through it.

Open it up, and you have a nice continuation. It doesn't have to be beautiful. You will be braiding it in, and the stitching line won't show. Though I do recommend using thread that matches your fabric color, just in case.