Braided rugs

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Can denim be used for braided rugs? How do you prepare the strips? I have been saving denim clothing for years now and need to begin using it! Please help! Thanks!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), March 14, 2002

Answers

Jean, email me with your address. I have a magazine article for braided blue jean rugs that I can send you. It was in an old McCalls Neelework and Crafts magazine. I've been saving jeans to make one too. Now, just to find the time!

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), March 14, 2002.

Save the back pockets (cuting around them and leave a little at the top to turn under and glue). Then cut out the heavy seam down the sides to glue on the pocket to make the handle for a little girls purse. Decorate with what ever you have on hand, or buy material that you can cut out cute things and glue to purse. I have bought material at Wal-Mart that has fish, bears and raggity ann to cut out and glue on the pockets. They are really cute. I sell these at craft shows for $1.00. Some shows I've sold them for up to $1.95. Depends where I'm selling at.

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo02@yahoo.com), March 14, 2002.

Hey, Jean, when you are through with that acticle, could you pass it on to me? I have the same deal, I have a huge pile of old jeans, and I need a rug.

The other thought I had was making a simple fram loom and weaving denium strips to make a rug. I would just leave the edges unfinished and let it fuzz out a little.

I learned that you can use denium scraps as mulch, so I thought Id use the usable parts for rugs, then use the left over bits to mulch my herb garden.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 15, 2002.


Kelly, I have seen rugs being woven from denim strips at a living history museum, but for the life of me I can't remember how the strips looked! I do remember that the strips twisted during the process and had a very pleasing effect in the finished rugs. BTW, I am assuming that Vicki will be sending me a copy of the article (thanks Vicki!!) and I'd be happy to send a copy to you. Jo's idea about the pockets might be a good project for my daughter - she does wonderful embroidery.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), March 15, 2002.

Hi all, I'm making copies of the article this afternoon, so let me know if you want one and I'll mail it to you. Vicki

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), March 15, 2002.


Hello Ladies, I make rag rugs by a method called Twining. Denim lends itself very well to rug making. I found this method of rug making while I was researching Navajo rug making. Didnt find much on that but there was a book called Twined Rag Rugs by Bobbie Irwin. I checked it out from the Library and taught myself from the instructions. Fortunately they were in picture/photo form and I could figure them out. It takes a very simple loom...just some 1 by 2's, screws and nails. The book has simple directions on making the looms several ways. The strips are torn to whatever width you want. Mine are usually 2". Denim would need to be l". Any fabric works. I usually use cotton scraps from sewing and my worn out dresses. I buy sheets and dresses from yard sales to use. Right now I'm saving wool scraps to make a small rug on a lap loom. You can sew the strips as you go but I just join them without sewing. It produces a very rustic looking rug that just wont wear out. The edges and little ends where its joined just seem to disappear into the rug as you use it. The book is still in print. A bookstore ordered it for me for around $20.. Blessings Peggy

-- peggyan2@msn.com (peggyan2@msn.com), March 17, 2002.

One more idea for those jean pockets: When I made a denim quilt for my daughter's room, I saved the back pockets from the jeans (I cut around the pockets so I had two layers of fabric.) I then glued pieces of my pastel-colored handmade paper to a large piece of cardboard, so that the cardboard was completely covered. When that was dry, I applied glue to the back side of the pockets, and glued them to the cardboard, making sure that the glue didn't soak through the denim and glue the pocket shut. When it was all dry, I poked two holes through the top, and put twine through so I could hang it on her wall. I stuck all her little beanie-type stuffed animals in the pockets. It looks really cute, and matches her quilt.

-- Merry (biggdogg@wcta.net), March 24, 2002.

I would also like the pattern for the braided denium rug and any other crafts using old denium jeans.

-- judy (jmd72640@yahoo.com), June 02, 2002.

I saved this article, now it is missing from the pile of jeans. Help! Were the strips hemmed & turned or left with raw edges?

-- Sami (HemsforSami@aol.com), June 23, 2002.

can i also be put on the forwarding list for any decrative denim ideas. i have slowly been doing a denium theme throughtout my house and could use some more ideas. thanks kelly

-- kelly boyd (suehersey@hotmail.com), June 25, 2002.


I enjoy braiding them, it is easy to do without any sewing except for the first three strips and at the end. you weave them together as you go and just keep adding to the lenght as you go by cutting button holes into the end of each end, sliding one through the other and bringing the other end up and through the hole of the one you are adding. it is EASY

-- Laurice Van Zee (clvanzee@polarcomm.com), January 14, 2003.

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