7 Easy Steps to Make a Braided Rug

Difficulty Level – Average

Time Required – If you have basic sewing and braiding skills, you could create a normal-sized rug within a single weekend!

What You Will Need:

• Long strips of fabric
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Ruler
• Sewing needles
• Thread
• Safety pins

Instructions:

• Cut the scrap fabric into long pieces with the help of sharp scissors. These strips should be about 2 inches wide. You can use a ruler and cut little notches at a gap of 2 inches along the edge of your fabric.
• Cut away the frayed strands along the edges of each strip. Stitch the ends of the strips with needle and thread to make continuous strands.
• Once you get a big pile of strips, roll them up into three equal-sized balls without joining the ends.
• Pull out the end from all three of the strip balls, stack them, and sew them together. Pin down this edge with the help of a safety pin to somewhere you feel comfortable to work at; like a couch, a curtain, or an ironing board.
• Start braiding and move backward as you work. When the braid gets long enough, re-pin the end to the base again and again. Braid the strips until you reach the length of the rug you want to make.

• Square or rectangle shaped rug – Make a bunch of braids which are similar in length. Lay down the same length braids side-by-side, pin them together and finally sew them to keep them in place.

  Oval or round shaped rug – You need very long, continuous braids to create these shapes because you have to coil them to get an oval or circle. Coil the braid into a spiral shape, pin it together then sew to keep it all in place. Keep coiling and pinning, and sew all the coils together.

• When you are pinning the last braid, tuck it under the rug and stitch it into place; and you’re done!