How to Learn Rug Braiding

Prepare the Material

• 1

  Select new or nearly-new material in wool or cotton. Keep the material consistent throughout the rug for best results. Select fabric colors that complement the room's decor; consider combining three or four different colors or create a solid rug in one color.

• 2

  Cut the material into 1- to 3-inch-wide strips depending on the weight of the fabric. For example, heavy woolen fabrics require 1-inch strips while light cotton fabrics need 3-inch strips. The width of the material determines how thick the finished rug will become. Heavy fabric that is cut too wide will create a rug that could be tripped over. Light fabric that is cut too thin will result in a rug that will wear out quickly.

• 3

  Join short strands of fabric together to make strands of at least 9 feet long. Overlap the end of one strand with the beginning end of the second strand by 2 inches and sew diagonally from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. Sewing diagonally from corner to corner will prevent a bulky seam.

• 4

  Fold both raw edges of the fabric strip toward the center so that the edges touch, and fold the strip of material in half. You now have four thicknesses of fabric. Use a slipstitch to attach the two sides together to keep the material from opening up.

• 5

  Roll the strips into a ball as they lengthen. You need three balls of cut strips to make a three-strand rug.

Braiding

• 6

  Sew the ends of three prepared strips together and secure the sewn end to a solid object or place it between your knees to hold the strands taut while braiding.

• 7

  Hold one strand in your left hand and one strand in your right hand; one strand will remain loose in the middle. Cross the right strand over the middle strand and then the left strand over the now middle strand (previously the right strand). Keep crossing the right and left strands over the middle strand until the length of fabric is used.

• 8

  Continue adding new strands by overlapping 2 inches of the end of the braided strand with the beginning of the second strand. Sewing the strands is not necessary because the braid will hold the two strands together.

• 9

  Separate the loose strands during braiding to prevent the unbraided lengths from tangling.

• 10

  Sew the three strands together by hand when you have reached the desired length. The stitching will keep the braid from unraveling when you are in the final steps of completing the rug. The strip's length will be determined by the size of the rug.

• 11

  Lay the braid on the floor and loosely wind the braid in a circle to decide how much more braid is needed to complete the rug.

Circle Rug

• 12

  Working on a flat surface, wrap the braid into a spiral shape.

• 13

  Secure the end of the braid to the surrounding braid with a heavy-weight thread and needle.

• 14

  Form a few inches of the circle with the braid and continue to slipstitch the braids together with the needle and thread.

• 15

  Fasten the end of the braid to the finished rug with several stitches. The stitches must be strong enough to withstand machine washings.