How to Bind Carpet by Hand

Finish off carpet scraps for attractive accent rugs.

Binding carpet scraps allows you to to create attractive accent rugs for your home. A bound carpet has a finished edge as opposed to a frayed edge, and the binding prevents loose threads from being further pulled away. Professional carpet suppliers will bind carpeting for you, but you can create a tight, finished look for your carpet scraps with carpet tape.

Things You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Carpet binding tape
• Scissors
• Hot glue

Instructions

1. Cut away any stray threads or irregular bits from the carpet scrap with a utility knife, leaving the edges smooth.

2. Remove the protective strip on top of the adhesive strip on the carpet binding tape and lay the carpet tape down on the floor, adhesive side up.

3. Lay the edge of the carpet down on top of the tape, lining the edge up to butt against the finished binding. Position the carpet scrap so that the tape starts at a middle point on one of the carpet’s sides.

4. Press the edge of the carpet down, allowing the adhesive to adhere to the back of the carpet.

5. Continue pressing the edge of the carpet to the carpet binding tape, curving the tape and overlapping the adhesive strip to round the corner of the carpet. Work your way around the carpet.

6. Finish off attaching the strip to the carpet by snipping the loose end off with scissors and butting the two ends of the strip together on the carpet edge.

7. Place a dot of hot glue from a hot glue gun in the crack between the carpet and the finished binding every 4 to 6 inches, holding the edges together for a few seconds to allow the glue to cure. After you have placed glue around the perimeter of the rug, it is ready to use.

References

• Installer Store: Instabind Instructions