# braiding rugs



## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

I am going to teach myself how to rug braid and I saw some tools that you can use that will automatically fold the fabric edges in and thus make my life easier. My question is do they work and is there anything else you can recommend to help me in my endeavor? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

braid aids work well for many people. some folks have better luck just folding the edges in as they go along.

keep your strips relatively short (a few feet at a time) so they don't tangle all the time. It's pretty easy to just add in a new strip. You probably want to create your first three strips of uneven length...maybe 2ft, 3ft, and 4ft so that you're not adding new strips all at the same time...stagger them

Grandma taught me to braid two different ways....one for rugs(heavy stuff) and another for chair seats, coasters, etc. for rugs, using wool, she would braid a few feet and sew it together as she went along. She said it made the project go faster and gave her hands a rest from the braiding of heavy woolens.

for the lighter weight, /smaller items, she'd sit listening to radio, or talking with friends, and braid up all the material she had - rolling the braid into big balls. Then she'd sew the braids into rounds or oblongs for chair seats, etc.

If you do a hidden stitch, the item will be reversible...which is good specially if you're doing a rug. flipping the rug over every so often allows it to wear more evenly and it lasts a lot longer.

you can braid with just about any material. old jeans work really well for cool funky rugs. Wools are exceptionally long wearing. Try to use the same weight material for your project all the way thru. makes things even, simple, etc. For sewing together, a curved needle makes life a LOT simpler.

start with something small. a simple throw rug or a round chair seat. 

hmmm.....colors....a monochomatic scheme works well for many projects...all greens, or blues, or reds in various shades. Or you can make something really interesting by just putting in whatever colors you have  the braiding mutes the colors, or rather it blends them pretty nicely. Experiment


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## Amylb999 (Jan 28, 2007)

I started off folding the fabric by hand and I'm really glad I got the braid aids. They make braiding faster and my hands don't cramp up as fast,,well worth getting IMO.

Make sure you learn how to turn the corners so your rug lays flat. If you just do a continuous braid the rug ends up curling. 

Get a strong thread/twine ,,you don't want your rug falling apart after all that work.
Good luck!!


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## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

Thanks a lot for the great info!!! More than what I expected and all new to me. I am really looking forward to trying it. Since I am fairly disabled(on O2 for lung disease and Lupus) I try to find things that I can do. I learned to needle felt, tin punch, cross-stitch, crochet, sew, and make dollhouse accessories(food and household items), basket weaving, and the ancient Scandinavian art of paper cutting- I couldn't spell it if I tried. I enjoy it and give things as gifts so it helps the wallet too. I also want to learn how to weave on a 4ft. loom my brother gave me.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Wow! that's quite a list of artsy things  Be careful with the weaving...it's REAL addictive! (and not the easiest of things to attempt, specially on a large loom). We're going to need some pictures pretty soon


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## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

Yeah, I tend to get into something and then find something else that looks interesting and then I do that also, then find another neat thing to try and ........... I do finish my projects which surprises even me, but now I have supplies for umpteen amounts of crafts. I personally think its another type of addiction. LOL


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