How to Make an Area Rug Braided
- 1). Gather old, discarded clothing. This is a great way to use old children's clothes, worn-out T-shirts and ripped or torn blue jeans. If you don't have old clothes around the house, hit up some neighborhood yard sales to find suitable materials.
- 2). Cut all of the clothing into long 1-inch-wide strips.
- 3). Make a stack of three strips of fabric, and sew the strips together at one end, using either a needle and thread or a sewing machine. Join all of your fabric strips in this manner.
- 4). Begin braiding the strips of fabric. Depending on your braiding ability, you can do this with the strips sitting in your lap, or you can hang the braid securely from a doorknob or other stationary surface. As you work down the braid, use a clothespin to secure the braid and keep it from twisting. Continue braiding until you've braided all of your fabric strips.
- 5). Wind the braided strips together on the floor into the shape you'd like your finished rug to be, either a circle or an oval. As you work on winding the fabric together, secure the coil with pins. Once all your fabric is coiled, decide if the rug is the size you'd like. If it's too small, go back to Step 1 and make some more braids to increase the size of your rug.
- 6). Sew the sides of the braids together, starting at the center, using a sturdy needle and strong thread. Make your stitches very tight so the braids pull together. Try to hide your stitches on the inside edges of the braids.
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