It's in Your Hands: Braided Rug Tools

Braided Rug History Braided rugs were originally known as rag rugs. The art came to America with immigrants. Each ethnic culture applied different skills to making braided rugs, usually utilizing old clothing in frugal times. Braided rugs were made for personal use and for resale.

Wool braided rugs were popular in New England, due to the proximity of the woolen mills. Once the railroads were established, New England fabrics and the techniques of finer rug braiding spread to wherever the railroad traveled. Braided rugs were popular at the turn of the 20th century and declined in popularity during World War I. Braided rugs resurfaced out of necessity during the Great Depression.

Tools of the Craft
Braided rug tools can be as basic as a large pair of scissors for cutting strips, smaller scissors for trimming, and a large blunt-end needle and heavy thread for lacing braids together. There are several braided rug idea books on the market to spark your imagination. If braided rugs are your passion, there are other braided rug tools that can simplify your craft.

Steel-lacing needles with curved, blunt tops or flat-lacing needles fit smoothly between the braid sections. Special lacing thread made of strong cotton lets you splice ends together for a continuous thread and holds strong for years. It takes countless fabric strips to make a braided rug. Cloth cutters quickly cut uniform strips.

The most-precise braided rug tools are your hands. Braiding can be tiring and sometimes awkward without some assistance. Braiding cones adjust to three thicknesses; these handy braided rug tools turn in fabric edges as you braid. A braid clamp attaches to the table and holds the braid in place. Consider adding leather finger guards to your braided rug toolbox. Guards protect fingers from thread burns and cuts.