How to Make a Little Rug Out of Fabric

A little rug suitable for a dollhouse can be made by the same fabric braiding techniques used to make large rugs. This small rug could serve as a prototype for a larger rug and will sharpen the maker's braiding and sewing skills. Rug making is a craft suitable for a child over the age of 8. Both small and large rugs can be made from strips of recycled cotton and require basic braiding and hand-sewing skills.

1 yard recycled cotton scraps
Ruler
Scissors
Safety pin
Sewing needle, size 9
Gray cotton thread

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the cotton scraps into 1-inch-wide strips by measuring and cutting a slit in the edge of the fabric and carefully ripping the strips.
- 2
  Tie the strips together if necessary and wind the strips into three same-sized balls.
- 3
  Grasp the ends of each ball in your hand and attach the ends to the arm of an upholstered chair with the safety pin.
- 4
  Braid the three strips by moving each end strip to the center, adding additional strips when 1-inch of a strip is remaining, leaving the ends showing for a rustic appearance, until all fabric has been braided.
- 5
  Coil one end of the braid into a tight circle on a flat surface like a table. Thread the needle with 24 inches of thread and secure the coil with small stitches on the top of the coil, which will be the bottom of the rug.
- 6
  Continue coiling and securing with stitches until you reach the end of the braid. Fold the end of the braid to the top of the rug and secure with stitches. Flip the completed rug over.

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