Q: After months of searching, I've finally found a rug that's exactly what I'm looking for in both price and style. Unfortunately, it only comes in a 3'x5' size, and I would need something larger to fit the scale of my living room. Maybe your lovely readers could chime in: Could I buy two rugs, cut the edging off of one side of each, and sew them together to make one big rug?
The pattern is random enough that I think it might blend in without making an obvious seam. Would it be a horrible Franken-rug disaster? Or could this work? Thanks, Apartment Therapy!
Sent by Kelly
Editor: The photos shown above are from a project done with rag rugs originally posted on Apartment Therapy: New York, and we think it works really well because the stitches become part of the new design. We're not sure if it would be as successful with a patterned rug - what do you think? Please share your suggestions and ideas with Kelly in the comments below - thanks!
• Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first)
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
10 Low-Budget Pantry Items Everyone Should Have
Summer Recipe: Gluten-Free & Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
I think it would work perfect as long as you have a nice thread to go with the fabric, I don't see why not! Good luck!
Definitely do it!
I'm totally for it... and it helps make yours just a little unique too. If you're worried it wont blend well- I'd pick a bright colored thread (like the above project) so the seams stick out. It'll still be geometric- so I think it'd totally work! :) good luck & send in pics of the final project!
This is such a great idea! I've had the same problem with trying to find a rug to properly fit my bathroom and cover my hideous linoleum floor. I'm definitely going to give this a go!
Completely depends on the type of rug and pattern involved.
What type of rug? Cutting off the edge of a woven rug would destroy its structural integrity - how do you plan to deal with that?
And how do you plan to deal with the lack of tuft above the seam? And the fact that the wool may lie in different directions, so they might never look like a single rug.
The rugs shown above look like they were sewn together with their edges intact. That, plus the fact that they are relatively thin (as rugs go) probably means that they're an entirely different situation than what you'd be confronted with.
I would find a rug cleaning and repair shop and ask them, being very specific about how the rugs you plan to work on were constructed. And if you don't know, ask the store selling them. Some commercial rugs seem to be glued to their backgrounds and not woven.
I know a fair amount about rugs and I wouldn't do it. There are a lot of rugs in the world. Keep looking until you find the right one.
I do not think it will work if you are cutting off the binding. I only think this plan would work well if the design involves keeping the edging. But I guess I would have to see it in person to be sure.
Must really know what kind of rug: pile, looped, woven - there are so many different kinds.
There is a fuseable type of carpet glue that I've seen that allows you to adhere two pieces of rug together. I would ask a carpet seller. Or google it. I know I've seen it done on a TV design show before.
I did it with multi-striped rag rugs (that didn't have fringe) and it turned out great! I used a white nylon upholstery thread and you can barely see the stitches, plus, once I arranged furniture on the rug it was hard to tell it was pieced together.
Why don't you try creatively working two (or even three) separate rugs into your room layout? This could make for a really interesting space.
I think it would really work nicely (and easily) on thin rag type rugs, in either solid colors or patterns that don't have a very obvious repeat. Don't cut the edging off- it could cause the material to unravel.
Aubreedoublee, have you considered Flor carpet tiles? You can cut them pretty easily to fit around whatever nooks and corners you have. Plus you can pull them up, wash them, and put them back down.
-Alana
http://www.waterspiper.com
You can also use very strong tape to hold them together - designers to this on TV all the time.
Be careful thought o lay out the rugs you want to put together int he store before you buy them. Hand woven rugs are not straight on the edges and vary in size. i have to return the rug project that i was going to do once because of this!
I did this, but with two shag rugs. Flipped them over and whip stitched them together with heavy monofilament (fishing string). The shag covered the edges and it worked beautifully.
I have two multi-color polypropylene shag rugs I just put side by side on rug savers and they don't drift apart.
Depending on the style of the rugs (and your home), you could have a bit of space between the two.
I've pieced together area rugs from smaller rugs using carpet seaming tape. (I made a large "towns and roads" play rug for my son's playroom by piecing together 3 smaller rugs arranged lengthwise). The rugs I used had a mesh backing and were low pile, so it worked well. I'm not sure how it would work with woven rugs. The tape bonds super well, so there's been no tripping over seams, etc.
If you're going to cut the end off anything that might fray, you can use an anti-fray product made for that. (Look for it at Joanne's.) You don't need to sew the rugs together. You could underlay the seam with some string jute strapping, butt end the joints and glue both ends of the rug down, there's no stitching and no thread shows. Gluing the two ends down will further prevent fraying.