Q&A for How to Make a Rag Rug

Maybe you cut the strips too short, so they pull out. It might be that you didn't weave in the strips closely enough, as it is the bulk of the fabric tightly packed together that helps keep them all in place. At this point, post-manufacture; the only remedy is to add more strips to make it denser, or to tie or sew the strips in.

There is no right answer. It all depends on what type of fabric you use and the method. Don't be afraid to just go for it. If it's too small, you now know that the next time you make it, you'll make it larger or longer.

A braided or crocheted rug needs no edging. The other rugs will need something to finish. Usually rugs are finished by sewing on strips of fabric. Traditionally this was hessian (the same fabric that was used for the base of a shag rug), but you can use cotton or toweling. Cut two long strips of around two inches by the length of your rug and two strips that are two inches by the width. Fold over the end of a strip so the raw edge is just inside, and sew it onto the last 3/4" of fabric on the 'best' side. Then tuck it over the edge of the rug, fold in the other edge of the strip, and sew it onto the underside.

Try winding it up while keeping it flat on the floor or a table - think winding up a horizontal Catherine wheel. It could be that there is a slight flexing in the way you wind it. As you say, winding too tightly will do this, too.