How to Make a Sweater Rug

Use a colorful old sweater to make a bright home accessory.

You can help out the environment and make a creative home accessory at the same time. Make a rug from an old sweater to save it from the trash. Use an old rug as a backing for the sweater rug or use a piece of heavy fabric and add a nonskid backing when you're finished. Use an extra large sweater to make a 24-inch by 36-inch rug or use several sweaters of the same thickness to make a larger rug.

Things You'll Need

• Sweater
• Liquid stitch glue
• Regular sewing needle
• Thread
• Old rug or heavy fabric
• Yarn
• Large sewing needle
• Nonskid fabric coating

Instructions

1. Lay the sweater on your working surface and carefully remove the stitches along the seam lines. If the sweater is knit together as a single piece, cut the arms off the sweater at the shoulders and separate the front and back by cutting along the left and right sides.

2. Apply a liquid stitch glue along ½ inch of the edges of the fabric if you had to cut open the sweater. Let the glue dry for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Arrange the fabric on your working surface in a rectangular shape. It's okay if there are pieces of the sweater that extend beyond the rectangle. Sew the pieces together and then cut any excess fabric that extends beyond your 24-inch by 36-inch rectangle. Use the liquid stitch around the edges and let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Place the sweater rug on top of the old rug or cut a piece of heavy fabric to measure 24 inches by 36 inches and place the sweater rug on top.

5. Join the two layers together. Thread a piece of yarn onto a large sewing needle. Sew with a whipstitch all the way around the rug to make a thick decorative border for the rug.

6. Turn the rug over and spray a light coating of a nonskid fabric coating. Let it dry according to the spray's instructions.

References

• Home Workshop: Makeover --- Recycled Sweater Rug

Resources

• Knitting Fairy: How Do I Whip Stitch Edges Together?