A Review of the Article: Creative Rug Ideas: Make Your Own Cheap Floor Covering

This is a review of the article Creative Rug Ideas: Make Your Own Cheap Floor Covering. In this informative article, Bartleby has some very creative suggestions for cheap floor coverings. The two suggestions that are given are clever as well as cheap. The first idea was to use a duvet cover and stuff it with either an old comforter or poly fill stuffing. Both would be a great idea but I think that it would leave the rug a bit high for a room that has even the smallest amount of foot traffic. This issue could easily be addressed and solved by using batting (you can purchase this by the bolt at most any fabric store). For an added touch, you could easily run this through the sewing machine and add a bit of a quilted look. Not only would the stitching add a unique touch, it would also make the rug easier to use in a room that is used quite frequently. The stitching could be done with either matching or contrasting colors in order to tie it into other fabrics already being used in the room.

The second suggestion that Bartleby offers in this article is to use a painters drop cloth. This is a great idea as it can either be left plain or embellished to match the look and feel of the room. With a drop cloth, you can add buttons, paint or even dye it with RIT Dye. For a bit of added thickness, you can apply binding around the edges of the rug. If you have children or elderly family members in your home, you may want to secure the rug with a non-slip backing. This backing can be purchased at most any craft or fabric store and can be applied just as a paint would be. The paint on non-slip material will form a rubber like backing on the drop cloth making it sturdier as well as slip resistant.

While Bartleby offered the suggestions above, I would like to add one of mine to the list. You can make a great rag rug for your home from your old clothing or other fabrics that you may already have. You can deconstruct almost any old garment and turn it into a beautiful rag rug in about a day. Traditionally, rag rugs were crocheted but they can be braided as well. The fabric should be cut into 1-2 inch strips and then rolled into flat strips (like paper towels on a roll) in order to prepare it for braiding or crocheting. The strips of fabric should be joined with a straight stitch diagonally in order to avoid a bulky area in the rug. Once you have gathered enough fabric and stitched it into manageable strips, you can create lengths of either crocheted or braided fabric. Once you have completed enough strips, it is time to start forming the rag rug. The strips of fabric should be coiled into an oval shape and pinned into place until you can secure them with a needle and thread. It is best to secure the rag rug by working the stitches as close to the middle of the fabric as well. This will serve two purposes, it will hide the stitches as well as make the rug more secure. Once you have completed the finishing touches, you will have a cheap floor covering that is fabulous.

A variation of the rag rug is to use the plastic bags that we all accumulate from the grocery store. The plastic is prepared in the same manner as the fabric for a rag rug (1-2 inch strips). The plastic strips can be braided or crocheted and the end result is a great rug to use outdoors once it is completed. The plastic is very sturdy and would make a great rug for a back door or a patio area. For an added touch, try to collect plastic bags of varying colors. Add the different colors in a pattern or randomly to give your rug a unique appearance.

With all of the suggestions above for cheap floor coverings for your home, you should be well on your way to some very creative floor coverings that you will be proud to say that you created.