Braided Rag Rugs?

I'm not yelling Bob - and welcome to the group. :-)

I remember my Mom mak> OK don't yell at me yet.

Bob,

Just about any book on hand-made rugs will provide instructions on making a braided rag rug. Check your local library. For example:

Alan

I have made small rugs for my bathroom from old sheets, torn into 2" strips and then crocheted. An elderly lady at a craft fair showed me how to do it! The rugs are reversible, absorbent, and go through the washer and dryer very well. They can be made into round, oval, or squared shapes. One piece of advice she had was to buy sheets at the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or garage sales. Another was to keep a needle and thread handy to attach the ends of strips together as you do, which avoids knots.

True braided rugs are works of art! There are several books available with excellent instructions, and very inexpensive tools for achieving flat, even braids while turning the rough edges inside. There are very nice, sturdy tapestry needles in half-circle shapes, which are handy for the sewing together, and cording especially made for the sewing which will hold very well and not cut the fabric braids. You can even buy everything in a kit, except for the fabric to make the braids. Enjoy!

One other note -- have you seen locker-hooked rugs? They also use strips of old material, and are very nice as well as easy to do. The instructions and special locker-hooks are available at almost all arts and craft shops now, as well as Walmart and lots of fabric stores.

I have made a few of what they call toothbrush rugs. It's pretty easy

-- you have two strips of fabric, and you do a continual series of half-hitches, with one strip enclosing the other strip (which serves sort of like cording) and attaching to the previous row with the half-hitches. It goes quickly and looks really nice, and as long as you work on a flat surface, they just aren't hard to do.

I thought I was tearing my strips too narrow, but as I started to braid them I realized that I could make them even a little thinner than I first guessed.

I do sew/tack-on the next one to the next one with regular thread. But when I sew the rings on to the rug (so to speak) I use a big ole darning needle and clear nylon thread.

For the life of me every time I tie that first clear thread on , I have to stand in front of a window and get sunlight. It's like threading a spider web. Once I get it started then I can deal with it.

I live in the city and I am already a professional dumpster diver. :) I have one of those deals that can pick up or 'grab' articles, cans, etc.... I may keep my eye open now for discarded clothing etc. and wash it with Lysol before I work with it.

I'm not talking about sewing braids together with half-hitches, I am talking about taking two 2-inch-wide strips of calico-thickness fabric or old sheets or whatever and wrapping one around the other with half-hitches, then when you come around to make a second row, you run the half-hitch through the row next to it and it makes the rug while you are creating the rows. No sewing afterward needed.

This is called WRAPPING and is a traditional way to make baskets with dried grasses, people have long ago learned to do this with all other kinds of plyable materials ,, i made loads of baslkets with ropes and rugs ,, rugs over trugs etc,,,,, mirjam

Oh I see! Interesting! Problem right now is I am just using strips from the legs of pants, the arms of shirts and any long strands I can get out of them. But if I ever get material that large I will keep that idea in mind.

I guess, because I am 'stocky' *, shall we say, the best way to cut up a pull over shirt is straight across and then cut it one time to make longer strips. Seems to me that makes them longer than going up and down. *"Fat" is such an ugly word."

I live in an apt bldg. I thought about putting a cardboard box in the laundry room and asking folks to thrown in any old sheets, towels,dresses or pants they just want to pitch.

I bought a sport coat recently and noticed that some on the racks were marked "executive cut". I asked the salesman what that meant; he said the old term was "portly." ;-)

Great idea! Snag them before they get to the landfill!

I've never made a braided rug before, but I remember reading that you can sew the braids to the rest of the rug with thicker yarn or string in a way that it doesn't show in the finished product. This involves catching the loops on each side, rather than piercing the fabric. This will make for a stronger finished product than one made with monofilament nylon thread.

Alan

I've never made a braided rug before, but I remember reading that you can sew the braids to the rest of the rug with thicker yarn or string in a way that it doesn't show in the finished product. This involves catching the loops on each side, rather than piercing the fabric. This will make for a stronger finished product than one made with monofilament nylon thread.

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Great minds think alot :) I thought of the same thing yesterday. I have two plastic, craft darning needles, that I have used to repair rugs with before. In some cases I have used plain ole string. I think it would hold the loops tighter to each other.

I keep telling myself...I do not want to compete with the manufactured ones, because they really are dirt cheap in some stores. I am doing it simply as a why of relaxing, while listening to the news, music or talking books. (I have spoiled myself with checking out talking books from the public library rather than watching TV.)

Absolutely! The enjoyment is in the process, not the end result. I give away most of what I make (knit, quilt, etc.).

One more thing: I know that charities (e.g., Goodwill) throw away some of the clothing they receive because it is not suitable for sale. Maybe it's worn out or whatever. Anyway, you could check with some local charities to see if they'll let you scavenge through their discards before they get rid of them.

Have fun!

Alan

I did undo about 4 rows of my work,but I am back on track and my rug is about one yard across. I learned my lesson about keeping it flat, at all times, while I am working on it.

I am no longer adding one braid one by one. I tack a bunch of them together in a 6 foot strand and then I do not have to stop and start each time. Actually I can tack them together easier that way too.

My cat loves it. When I finished for the day, this afternoon, I threw it on the floor to look at it and my cat went right to it and sat on it. Later I pitched it on the couch and he went over and slept on it.

I think because it is made of all my own old shirts and pants etc he knows that. They claim if you take your cat to a kennel ,you should take an article of your clothing and leave it with them, because they feel more comfortable and safer.

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (Bob Young) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@storefull-3214.bay.webtv.net:

yes, my kitties (and the dogs too) always get to take worn, unwashed tshirts if they have to have a vet stay. i have a farm sitter if we're away so they don't get boarded except when ill. lee