How to Build a Braided Rug & Keep it Flat

Cut all the fabric into 2 inch wide or 3 inch wide strips and divide them into three piles, either by color or randomly.

Take one fabric strip from each pile and overlap the short ends together. Hold the three strips together at this end with a few stitches, then use a safety pin to anchor the strips to the arm of a sofa or a cushion.

Braid the three strips together evenly, tucking the raw edges of the strips under with your fingers as you work. When you get to the end of the strips, overlap new strips with the ends and continue braiding, securing the new strips with the braiding. Reposition the safety pin and anchor a middle section of the braid to the sofa arm or cushion as your strip gets longer.

Secure the ends of the final three strips together with a few stitches. Take this end and place it down on a table or other flat surface. Coil the braid around this end. Hand stitch alternately through the adjacent sides of the braid to secure the coil or set your sewing machine to a wide zigzag stitch and sew the coil so that the stitches catch alternate sides of the coiled braid, pivoting the fabric around as you sew.

Continue in this manner, spiraling more of the braid around and around the coil and stitching it in place a few inches at a time. You should see your work gradually grow into a circular rug. When you have sewn the whole length of the braid, tuck the end under and secure it neatly to the side of the rug with some stitches.

Place your finished rug on top of your heavy, non-fraying fabric and trace around its circumference with a pencil. Repeat this with the stiff, double-sided fusible web. Cut the circles of fabric and web out. The fabric will be a backing for the rug. It will make the rug more hardwearing and also help it to lie flat.

Sandwich the circle of web between the rug and backing fabric and make sure the edges match up. Press the fabric side with your iron to fuse the layers together. The backing should be adhered to the rug to ensure that it remains flat.