How to Make A Pillow From a Small Rug

I had an idea to write an article about making a pillow from a bathroom rug directly from eHow, but apparently someone decided to write before I got to it. Anyhow, I decided to write the article anyway, as pillows could probably be made from small rugs used anywhere in the house. The rug I chose for the project is a rag rug I obtained from the dollar store, but any rug could be used, such as a used plush rug or a decorative rug. Read the rest of the article to find out how to form a pillow from such a rug.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• needle
• thread
• stuffing materials
• one small rug

1. Fold rug over, do not cut. If it is so desired, a person may add stitching later to the folded end to make it similar to the other edges, but if using a rug with fringes, the one end will have fringes on it anyhow, unless they are cut short.

2. 
   Looped and Straight Stitch Examples

   Hand stitch the sides, but leave the side opposite the folded end open for rectangular rugs. If using a round rug, just leave a big enough gap to stuff the rug later. I do not recommend doing this on a sewing machine unless a person would have an exceptionally good one that needles will not break off in the material. Recommended stitches to use are the smallest possible straight hem stitching--this is done by weaving the needle through the material rather than pulling it through immediately--there comes a point when one will have to pull it through, but the same stitch should be repeated. Other recommended stitching to close the rug is making a loop around the outer edges while sewing--make the looped sewing small and close enough together for a nice, tight binding stitch. For either type, a small portion of the edge should be turned inward. (When sewing the third edge for a fringed rug, do not fold this end inward--either work around the fringes or sew neatly, trying to keep all knots on the inside of the material). Examples of the recommended stitches are shown to the left. Use the computer's mouse to double left click on the image for a larger view if needed.

3. Use any stuffing material that is soft to stuff the rug--no beans or plastic pellets. Fibrefil that can be bought at the store can be used, but to save on costs, one can use scraps of soft material, nylons with runs, socks that have holes in or have lost their mate, any recycled soft material will do, but try not to make the pillow too bumpy with the stuffing materials--leave them as flat or fold over large pieces, but never roll these materials to fit in the sewn rug.

4. 
   Rug Pillow

   Sew the open end shut with the same type of stitching as used before on the rest of the outer edge. When it is completely closed with stitching so that no stuffing can come out, it is now a rug pillow. Use it in any way that is desired and enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• If stuffing the rug with washable stuffing materials, it may be able to be machine washed on a gentle cycle or hand washed easily. It may however, take much longer to dry, as it is recommended to line dry the rug for less shrinkage.