Secrets of the No-Sew Rag Rug

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' thought that #ith all of the e!"hasis on recycling and reusing these days, a no$se# rag rug "ost #ould be !ore co!!on. Ho#ever, in !y o#n internet research, ' find that it(s so!ething of a unicorn. 't follo#s the sa!e "rinci"le that #e all used in !aking those funny cotton loo" "otholders) under, over, under, over. See* +ou(ve already got ,-.ths of the techni/ue. No-Sew Homemade Rag Rug 01r trivet, "otholder, center"iece, "lace !at, #hat$have$you.2 3. Cut stri"s of fabric 3$, inches #ide and re!ove sea!s. ' like three foot stri"s, but the length only !atters for ho# often you #ant to be taking the ti!e to 4oin ne# stri"s.

5. Tie t#o stri"s in a si!"le loose knot. +ou(ll be trying to shove fabric through this later, so too tight and you !ight get aggravated. 6lso, notice that the "ieces in the "icture are 7N898N. 6t the end of every strand, you(ll have to 4oin a ne# one, and it looks better if that(s staggered.

,. 'f you #ant stri"es like !ine, arrange your stri"s so that they alternate 6,:,6,: #hen you lay the! flat. Then take the one on the right side and go under, over, under.

.. Continue taking each right$hand strand and going under, over, under 0Notice that it(s not a T';HT braid. <ust snug enough to lay flat and hold it(s sha"e.2

=. >hen you get a braid about 3-5 the length of the rug you #ant, it(s ti!e to turn. ' #ent under, over, under #ith that gray stri" and then turned it to the right so ' could tuck it in the edge of the original braid.

?e"ending on your !aterial, your rug !ay not #ant to lie flat if you turn it too /uickly, so you !ay not get to tuck 898R+ strand into the original braid. So!eti!es you !ight have to ski" tucking a cou"le so you can turn the corner s!oothly. @. >ork your #ay back do#n to the starting knot follo#ing the e%act sa!e "attern as you used to !ake the original braid, 4ust tucking the end through each ti!e. 0'f you #ant the stri"es, tuck it in it(s 1>N color as you co!e around and do#n.2

A. 1nce you get back do#n to the original knot, and #ork your #ay around the curve, ski""ing and tucking as necessary to lay flat, it(s ti!e to add a stri"& To !aintain the stri"es, ' 4oined one of each color together and stuck it through the starting knot in a #ay that ke"t the "attern. Then '

continued braiding the sa!e #ay ' had been all along, but no# it #as under, over, under, over, under)BT7CC&

+ou can(t see, but there(s S'D stri"s no#. '!"ortant to kee" an even nu!ber the #hole #ay. Intermission: >H8>, this is #ay harder to e%"lain than it is to do& Eor another e%"lanation, in fact the only other e%"lanation '(ve seen on the #hole internet, click here. Let(s also "ause to learn ho# to 4oin 0sli"$knot2 stri"s to each otherF Cut a hole in the ends of both stri"s you #ant to 4oin. Shove the ne# on through the old one. Then "ush the tail end of the ne# stri" through it(s o#n hole and tug until snug.

:ack to our regularly scheduled tutorialG

H. :raid all of the #ay do#n to the end and back u" the other side to the original knot. 6dd another stri" #here ever you can sneak it in to !ake eight stri"s.

I. Pick u" that right$hand gray one, and go under, over, under, over, under, over, under, over, under)BT7CC&

I. 8very ti!e you #ork yourself back to the beginning knot, add another set of stri"s until you get the siJe rug you(re looking for. 3K. 1nce the rug is the #idth you #ant it across the !iddle, it(s ti!e to #ork yourself back do#n to H stri"s, then @, ., 5, and finally none in a #ay that doesn(t thro# off your overall sha"e. >hen ' decreased in the "icture, ' #ent under, over, under, over, under)BT7CC)BT7CC 6;6'N under t#o !ore blues horiJontallyLBsni" off the e%cess. Continue until you run out of strands.