braided rugs?

[rae-dean]

i was wondering if anyone has made braided rugs out of strips of cloth??today i was at the 2nd hand store and found a kit with those 3 metal cones used in making rugs. i am looking forward to making some rugs out of cloth.i have crocheted strips to make braided rugs and also crocheted strips of cotton to crochet a round rug.I love the look of the braided rug.
just wondering if anyone has done this and has any tips or pictures??thanks rae-dean :)

[rae-dean]

http://img702.mytextgraphics.com/photolava/2008/04/19/rug002-4a8ga23nu.jpeg
here is my crocheted braided rug.i like to make these.it is mindless crocheting of strips .7 single crochets and ch 1 at the end of each row...great way to use left over scraps...i do it just like a braided rug...roll these strips up into big huge balls and then sew 3 together at the top end and start braiding.then shape the rug into the shape u like and stitch together...lots of fun. :)

[Deberosa]

That's really cool! I did get a book at a yard sale on braiding rugs. It's on my list of things to do. My grandmother and mother would make rugs out of strips of cloth and they would crochet rugs out of ribbon that a local ribbon factory would toss out but never thought of braiding crocheted strips.

[rae-dean]

hi Deberosa :D
i have a big list of to do's also.
did your granny and mom make braided rugs out of polyester strips or out of cotton?
i know a person does not need these metal cones i got.But it takes so long to make sure the strips are folded over just right if u don't use these.I have made a crocheted rug out of cotton strips and did just let the frayed ends show.it still looked pretty nifty.
what are some other things u want to do??
i love the crocheted strip rugs.they are alot of fun and so sturdy.they last forever.
also i crochet rugs out of nylon cord.now those last and last and keep looking good.u burn the ends together when u want to connect.and keep on crocheting.Do u crochet?have a nice day. ;)

[Deberosa]

I used to crochet alot. Have several afgans, two of which my grandmother made for me 35 years ago. My ribbon crocheted rugs were lost among the many moves I've done over the years but they didn't wear out.

They didn't use polyester or cotton, but rather these huge rolls of ribbon that this factory would throw away as seconds. One woman would alert to the find and everyone would go pick through the pile of ribbon. Huge amounts of it that they would throw away.

[rae-dean]

i have never heard of this kind of rug.i will bet they were so pretty and what a good idea.no cutting and not frayed edges.wow...that is actually a very good idea.ribbon strips crocheted...whew...love this.wish u had some of them to show me.hugs and thanks alot for sharing this info.rae-dean

[jclabiosa]

Im not sure how it was done but I could ask my grandma she told my that the old folks used to make braided rugs out of plastic bread wrapers when they came into use. She said they were actually really nice.

[COSunflower]

I've crocheted rugs out of the polyester/cotton blends of fabric and it works really well. My old neighbor had some of those bread wrapper rugs that she crocheted and they NEVER work out!!! Of course she made them before biodegradable plastic wrappers came out....Rae Dean - I LOVE your crocheted braided strip rugs!!! I've taught a crochet/knit club at my middle school for 23 years and we have made balls of chaining and then crocheted THEM into rugs which turned out well but I REALLY like the looks of YOUR strips and am going to start working on some. Looks like the strips lay real well when you sew them together. Any problems I should look out for?

[Suzy]

I'm pretty sure there was an article on braiding rugs in one of the back issues of BWH. It is likely in one of the anthologies. Does anyone else remember it? I could try to look for it or there may be some way on this site to search it out.

[MYellowRose]

Doc's wife was working on a braided rug when I met them back in 2000. If my memory serves me right she was doing it all by hand, no cones or anything. I've thought about trying my hand at one but don't think I've got the staying power to finish it, that's my problem with most of my projects. LOL

[COSunflower]

OOPS! I reread my old post and I said that the plastic bag rugs never WORK out and I MEANT "WEAR OUT"!!!! I've never used the metal cones when making rugs but always wondered if they were worth the trouble or expense. I have a friend that makes crocheted rugs and lets the frayed edges show - she sells ALL that she makes and in fact just can't make them fast enough! She looks for old sheets at the yard sales and thrift stores to use for fabric.

[windwoman]

I have both braided and crocheted rugs. If using light-weight fabrics like cotton and polyester, I crochet them. Braided rugs seem to be much nicer if heavier fabrics are used; such as wool, denim, heavy drapes, or even blankets. Fabric can be found at auctions and goodwill stores. I usually use denim or blankets, use metal braiders, and lace the braids together with a yarn needle and fishline. After the rug is initially together, I re-lace the whole rug again. The rugs remain strong and can handle abuse. To clean them, I lay them on my patio, scrub them with Dawn-water and a brush, rinse, and hang on my porch rail to dry.

[idrathergarden]

Just starting to research on how to make braided rugs. I want to try and make one for our living room floor. Area rugs are sooo expensive but we need something for our wood floors. I do not know how to crochet wish my grandma would have taught me. Maybe my girls and me will find someone through 4-H to teach us.
Did anyone find BHM article on rugs at all?
Does anyone recommend a good book on crocheting, kniting, etc.---one with illustrations showing steps.

[rae-dean]

i found this old post of mine from when i was on here before.i do not know where i got the crocheted strips for braiding rugs. it seems to me to be some old craft magazine...
it is mindless crocheting.sort of fun to do when watching tv.and then roll into big balls and then braid as u would any braided rug.so fun.i need to make a big one for our cabin.hugs rae-dean