How to Bind the Ends of a Carpet Remnant

Glue Binding

• 1

  Unroll your remnant and trim any loose threads with scissors.

• 2

  Lay your remnant face down on your work surface.

• 3

  Run a bead of hot glue all the way across the cut ends of the remnant. Let glue cool and dry completely, and lay the rug. This quick method works well in areas of very light traffic or with very inexpensive carpet you may be using for a year or two. With time, a few threads may fray; if so, trim them and anchor the ends with a dot of hot glue.

Self-Adhesive Binding

• 4

  Measure either just the cut ends of your remnant or, for a more finished and permanent look, all four sides of the carpet. Record your measurements in inches, and add 6 inches as insurance that you have enough. This will allow you to curve binding around corners if you wish.

• 5

  Apply self-adhesive binding, following package directoins. Essentially, what you are doing is attaching the self-adhesive part of the binding to the back of your rug. That will leave a rim of edging right next to the edges of your carpet.

• 6

  Attach the right-side binding strip to the edge of your rug with small dots of hot glue. The results will look as though you sewed a binding on the rug, although the process is much quicker than sewing and easier on your hands. This method should be effective for moderate and heavy foot traffic, so long as you check occasionally and reglue any places where carpet and binding have parted.

Old-Fashioned Sewn Binding

• 7

  Measure either just the cut sides or all four sides of the rug, depending on how you want it to look. A four-sided binding will look more finished. Allow an extra 6 inches of binding in case of unforeseen problems. Rug binding usually comes in a number of colors. Thread a large-eyed needle with heavy-weight sewing thread; linen or jute thread are most frequently used to sew rug binding.

• 8

  Apply a coat of carpenter's or all-purpose glue to the cut edges of the remnant with your paintbrush. Working slowly, turn under the edge of your carpet tape and use the needle and thread to whip-stitch it to the right side of the rug canvas, creating a border of 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.

• 9

  Turn your rug face down. Fold and trim extra and overlapping pieces of tape at the corners. Using your large-eyed needle and the sane thread, anchor the edges of the tape to the back of the canvas with large criss-crossing stitches or any other stitch that will hide your work once the rug is laid face up. This binding method is the most time-consuming of the three and hardest on your hands, but it is known for its durability.