How to Make a Wool Rug
In the seventies, people used to make their own wool rug. This can be done by hooking or latch hooking (using a cloth and sisal frame and small strips of yarn to complete a guided pattern,) braid and stitch, crochet style, or knotting. The most practical wool rug is probably the braided wool rug. A hooked wool rug is often best if used for wall decoration.
One of the best ways to learn how to braid a wool rug is to attend a course, but it is not so difficult as to be impossible to learn by reading. Select heavier wools for use in your wool rug. Some have made interesting braided rugs out of flannel using a backing for weight. The strips you should cut your wool into is one inch, and should be cut on the straight to prevent stretching and add to strength. If using velveteen, cut those strips 1 �¾ inches wide and folded over so that the rug can flip without looking ugly on the other side.
Join all of your strips end to end and as you sew, roll them up like a yarn ball so they do not tangle. You will need three or four balls of wool strips to braid together, and as you braid the strips, you should ball up the resulting braid as you go. If you want a pretty wool rug, each roll of the three or four strips should be one color only. Experimentation with various styles is recommended for you to get an idea of what looks best. The end result of braiding should be a ball of braided wool strips. You are then ready to sew.
Use a thick needle in this portion of wool rug creation. Sew starting at the center, making sure that your end is secured. Coil your rug a bit, sew it, and then coil more. Be very careful to lay the wool rug on a table as you hand sew to make sure it is symmetrical and staying flat. How you start the center will determine the shape of the resulting rug. A long oval center around a few inches of wool will result in an oval wool rug, while a tight center with immediate coil results in a round wool rug.
If you want to make an easier version of the braided wool rug, an option is the crocheted wool rug. To create this rug, you must cut all of your strips of cloth and sew them end to end and into one ball, and you must use a large hook or hand crochet it. This creates a braided look with much less effort if you know how to hand crochet your wool rug. It is sewn in the same fashion as the braided.
Making a rag rug, like making a braided wool rug, is another activity you might enjoy. This rug is much easier to clean than the braided wool rug; just toss it in the washing machine when it gets soiled. How fun! Choose fabrics that are close to the same color. Recycled fabrics are most recommended for the rag rug. Of course, some people choose to purchase fabric for a rag rug so that it is color coordinated.
The wool rug is a great way to decorate your house with a rustic feel. You can either pay a lot for your wool rug, or you can choose to make it, which is often quite a bit more fun, and probably means more to you. The wool rug can easily become an heirloom, passed down from generation to generation for years to come. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to admire the wool rug you once braided as it lays on the floor of your grandchild’s nursery?
