How to Cut Braided Carpet

A braided carpet or braided rug is a handmade textile floor covering constructed from lengths of braided fabric scraps. Once the length of scraps are braided together into a long strand, the braid is coiled back on itself to form a circle, oval or rectangle. The coiled braid is then sewn together on the backside of the rug so it holds its shape. Cutting a braided carpet allows you to shrink it or remove an outer coil that is damaged or that you do not like.

Seam ripper
Scissors
Needle
Thread

Instructions

- 1
  Turn the carpet upside down so the bottom of the carpet is facing up. Locate the threads holding the outer coil in place. Cut the threads with a seam ripper. Continue cutting threads until you have loosened as much of the carpet as you want to remove.
- 2
  Cut the loosened coil off with a sharp pair of scissors, leaving 10 inches of extra coil so you can sew a new finished edge. Discard the removed braid.
- 3
  Loosen the braid in the 10 inches of coil that you left on the carpet. Re-braid it 7 inches, getting looser as you go. Tuck the last 3 inches under the carpet.
- 4
  Sew the loose 3 inches of the coil to the back side of the carpet with needle and thread. This will keep the finished braid from unraveling.
- 5
  Turn the carpet or rug over so the bottom is facing down, and place the carpet where you want it.

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