How to Expand Toothbrush Circle Rugs

Gather appropriate, same-weight fabric for the expansion. If the rug is made of wool, get more wool. If it's made of lightweight cotton, get more lightweight cotton. If the rug is a mix of different weights and types of fabrics, get more of all the material. Or, if you want to change the look of the rug to add a different color or weight to the outside of the rug, buy or gather the kind of material you want. Most toothbrush or rag rugs are made from the fabric of old clothes, sheets, worn T-shirts or coats. You need similar-weight cloth so the rug will lie the same and be the same thickness as the rest of the rug.

Find the end of a finished rug and remove the stitches that link the end of the rug to the rest of the rug. Remove any stitches and unwind 2 to 3 inches of the rug braid. Unwind the braid so you can determine the width of the material strips used. Measure the strips and cut the new fabric to the same width as the strips of rug fabric. Use a ruler and scissors or a rotary cutter and mat to cut to the desired width. If you're working on a previously started rug, you already have the correct size of strip fabric you were using and just need to cut more of the same width of fabric. For easier braiding and handling, cut strips about the length of your arm.

Cut a 1-inch slit in each piece of unwound fabric from the rug about 1/2 inch from the end of each piece. You may have to unwind more fabric to trim any frayed ends of the old rug. If you do, trim each piece the same length as the others. Repeat making a slit on each end of each new length of fabric to be added to the unwound rug fabric end pieces. Lay a strip of unwound rug fabric on top of a piece of new fabric, matching the holes together. Bring the other end of the new strip under and push the fabric strip through the two holes and pull snug. This connects the two pieces of fabric in a sort of knot, adding the new strip to the old. Continue until new fabric pieces are added to all old rug fabric pieces and continue to the braid the rug as usual. Add new fabric pieces as needed and braid until the rug is of the desired size.