Adventures in Country Living: Braided Rag Rug

Adventures in Country Living Braided Rag Rug: "As part of my research, and just general fun, I like to try my hand at tasks and projects people would have done on a regular basis one hundred years ago; soap making, bread making, gardening, and my latest project: rug braiding. These sort of projects are a hands on way of discovering and understanding what life may have required for women such as Elsie or Lonnie in my book, Cry of My Heart, and homesteading women all across America.

After searching ebay to try and buy one, I discovered they are much to expensive for the handmade kind, which I really wanted, so I have began my first braided rug. Traditionally, these rugs are made from scraps that frontier women saved and cut into strips for future use. Waste not, want not! Was certainly their mantra in those days when they had an entire household and family to see after, with often, little income. It would make sense to start with a small rug, say a 2 x 3, but since I am in desperate need of a 5 x 8 for my living room that has just been re-done in hardwood flooring, I'm tackling a biggy!

The colorful strips are braided into loooong (did I say long?) braids (I purchased 20 yards of fabric and cut it all into 2 ' wide strips...that's a lot of braiding!) The braids are sewn together in a flat coil to create a beautiful, homemade and unique rustic rug. So far I have had several meltdowns and nearly as many tantrums over this project, but I am finally getting somewhere! I am about to sew my first few feet of braiding and I am excited to see how it turns out.

As I attempt new projects, I will post them here :-) I would love to hear about other old-time projects, so please share what you are creating! Happy homesteading!"