braided doll rug tutorial

I just love braided rugs.  They add such a comfort to a home.  One day I will make a massive one for my home.  I figure when I get to that point I will run to thrift stores and collect old beautifully printed sheets and work with those.  Until then, I'll just dream :)

Here's a simple addition to pretty up doll house, a small handmade rag rug.  I don't know about you, but a lot of the fun of a doll house for my daughter is simply rearranging the furniture.  Rugs and carpets included.

All you need is long thin scraps of fabric and a sewing machine.

Braid the scraps into long long braids.  I knotted the ends while working with them.

I simply zigzag stitched the rug together.  I wanted an oval rug, but you could easily make this in a circular shape.  To start with the oval shape fold the end of your braid over and start your stitching up in the crevice there.  As I worked with the braids I cut off the knots on the ends and flattened the fabric and stitched right over it.

Continue to wrap around your center oval.  When you finish a braid and want to join another color simply cut off the knots, overlap the braids a bit (sort of flatten them as you go), and keep sewing.

Keep on going.

When you get to where you want to finish tuck the end of the braid under the rug a bit and zigzag until the end, backstitching a bit to secure.

How simple was that?!