Quite a lot of years ago [probably about 10] i braided up a whole heap of hessian to make some floor rugs. This is the leftover bag. I dug it out of the wardrobe on monday when i was looking for something else.
A big needle and some cotton string is all you need to lash it together, oh and hands of steel. By the time your finished you will need to soak your hands in something warm and then apply lots of hand cream.
Three hours later and this is the result.
Its a little slippery on the floor, so i will have to get Mr GoingGreen to put a few rows of silicon on the back.
The last time i had one of these mats at the front door Sally Girl kept chewing it and every time i fixed it she would chew a bit more. We will see how long this one lasts.
I still had some left over braids so i made a couple of rope toys for Sally Girl, they wont last long but thats ok. New toys are always good, especially chewable ones.
Linked here Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #83
and here The Homemaking Party
and here A little R&R Wednesday Linky Party #62
and here Think Tank Thursday #91
and here Home Acre Hop #80
and her Old Fashioned Friday #78
10 comments:
That looks beautiful. I've always wanted to braid a rug but haven't. Have you ever tried weaving one? The frame is very easy to build. Here is the one I did. It's a lot easier on the hands.
http://thefarmhouseinthefield.blogspot.com/2014/06/weave-your-home-little-happy-rug.html
hey Stacey, thanks for dropping by, before i saw your comment i found your rug on a link up party. i have wanted to do rug weaving for quite a number of years and have even purchased the metal rods to go down the side of the loom, i just haven't gotten around to building the frame. i think ill add it to the top of my to do list
I've always wanted to try one of these but read that they are difficult to make lie flat. But you did it! You must be a natural. :)
I love your rug. We had a rag rug workshop at our simple living group's catchup last year but I couldn't get the hang of going around the corners so that it didn't bunch up. Some of the other ladies made lovely rugs though.
So good that you kept it all these years -it's so pretty! Great job!
That looks great - I started one a few years ago.....then put it away for a few years.... and finished it 2-3 years ago... my girls claimed it for their room and it works great in there. It was a "learning" rug - first one I had done, but hope to do another one again sometime. Thank you for sharing yours with us. :)
Leigh they are a pain to do, you just have to make sure you dont pull your stitching too tight.
Nanna Chel, i would love to hold a work shop it would be fun and its great when you can teach someone something new. Also the outside edge still wants to curl i think its because its such a stiff material. I hope you give it another try sometime.
Vickie you just never know when you might want to do something again and i also have a hard time throwing things away.
Gentle Joy, i would love to see your rug if you care to share it and i hope you make another as they are all very beautiful as well as useful.
My Grandmother made a very large one for my parents/that my parents ended up with. She used leftovers from a local furniture factory that my grandfather worked at. It has lasted over 3 decades - what other "carpet" can do that? Mom does need to fix the center soon, so for now she has a table covering it.
I love the look and the feel. I put one in front of the sink to add cushion for my feet when I do the dishes and one in front of the clothes washer. I get the added bonus of a warmer floor in the winter also.
This would be a great winter time activity to do and something I would love to try. Where did you get the material from? Would something like old t-shirts work or would sturdier fabric be needed? Also I've always wondered, as I do have some braided rugs here at home that I got second hand, how do you clean these? Besides hosing them off and vaccuming them is there a way to get them clean?
Thanks for sharing.
I love your rug!
I wanted to make one of these. Lou and I are in the process of making a finger knitting rug that you weave on a hula hoop frame. But it's still a work in process ;) we finish it one day!!
Rosie, i would love to see a picture of your mums rug. i love that it has had such a long life and is still going. the material i purchased at spotlight, however i will not make another out of hessian as it too harsh on your hands. i have made a couple out of t-shirts that i crocheted,a big one in my bedroom and a smaller one at my kitchen sink. if you look on my side bar under braided floor rugs you will find them. as for cleaning them, you can put them in the washing machine if they are small enough to fit and only a cold wash or you can wash by hand. my bigger on is vacuumed beaten and put out in the sun. the smaller ones are washed. they do need to go out in the sunshine a few times a year especially if you have pets who sleep on them.
if you give it a go i would love to see them when your finished.
very nice Anne, i have seen a couple of these on pinterest. i hope you share when your finished dont forget to take progress pictures.
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