Things You'll Need
Sharp tapestry needle
Thread
Pencil
Scissors
X-Acto knife
Burlap
Yarn to match the hooked rug
Latch hook
Binding material
The latch hooked rug has been adorning the floors of homes for centuries. This is an art form that has been handed down through generations. Often, the hooked rug can be found in antique shops, rummage sales, estate sales and consignment shops. If you find an old hooked rug that is in need of repair, don't despair. Learn exactly how to repair a hooked rug to restore the rug to functional beauty so that you can use it or display it in your home.
Step 1
Examine the rug carefully to determine the extent of the damage. Look around the edges at the binding. Examine the body of the rug to find any holes or breaks in the cloth.
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Step 2
Draw circles on the back side of the cloth to mark the areas that need to be replaced.
Step 3
Cut along the drawn circles with the X-acto knife to cut away the damaged portions of the rug. Be careful not to slice into the rug unnecessarily. If the binding needs to be replaced, carefully cut away the parts of the binding that are damaged.
Step 4
Cut out pieces of burlap to fit the areas of the cloth that were cut away. Fit the new burlap pieces into the holes.
Step 5
Thread the needle with a 18-inch length of doubled thread and tie an overhand knot at the end of the threads.
Step 6
Sew each new piece of burlap into the hole using small, careful stitches. The goal is to have the new burlap pieces fit seamlessly into the holes by stitching around the entire edge where the old and new fabrics are joined. Tie a knot and clip the thread between each hole and start over with each hole.
Step 7
Take the rug to yarn shops and begin the process of matching the existing yarn as closely as possible. Consult the sales clerks and ask for help with this endeavor. While it may not be possible to match the yarns exactly, hopefully you will be able to come quite close. Purchase the yarn needed to fill in the holes.
Step 8
Latch hook the new yarn to fill in the repair holes. Trim the latch hooked yarn so that it is the same length as the existing latch hooked yarn.
Step 9
Examine the existing binding (that is not damaged) and try to recreate the replacement binding as nearly as possible. If it is merely whip stitched by hand, thread your needle and make neat whip stitches to bind the latch hook rug. If there is a sewn-on binding, find a piece of binding material that closely matches the existing binding and sew it on by hand, trying to match the original binding as much as possible.
Warning
Handle the X-acto knife very carefully and keep it out of reach of children and pets.
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