How to Fix an Oriental Rug Fringe
Oriental rugs experience a great deal of wear and tear, due to daily use. The decorative fringe along the edges often unravels or becomes detached from the body of the rug. Owners of handmade or valuable rugs should have the fringe repaired by a professional, which is often a lengthy and expensive process.
Those with inexpensive machine-made rugs and basic sewing skills can replace the damaged fringe themselves for the small cost of a few yards of replacement fringe.
Things You Will Need
- Replacement fringe
- Needle and thread
Tip
If the ends of the the original fringe are visible beneath the new fringe, trim them for a neater appearance. For those adept at sewing, use a blind hem stitch to neatly attach the replacement fringe. A blind hem stitch is sewn primarily along the back of the material, leaving only tiny, neat stitches visible from the front. Replacement fringe may be dyed to match the original fringe. Be sure to buy a few extra inches to allow for shrinkage after dyeing. Don't remove the damaged fringe, as it will provide a secure base for the replacement fringe.
Warning
Repairing a rug can damage its value. Expensive rugs should be repaired only by professionals, who will most likely choose to reweave the damaged portions instead of replacing the entire fringe.
If you have any doubts about your ability to fix a fringe without causing further damage to your rug, take it to a rug repair professional instead.
Never glue down a fringe, as the glue will damage your rug.
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Purchase a pre-made replacement fringe from a fabric store to match the damaged fringe. Fringe is generally sold by the yard. Make sure to buy enough to replace the entire length of the fringe, not just the damaged section, plus a few extra inches.
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Sew a blanket stitch (a stitch that goes around in a loop along the border of the material) along the damaged area using a strong waxed thread to reinforce the edge of the rug and prevent it from unraveling.
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Pin the replacement fringe to the base of the existing fringe. The replacement fringe should lie on top of the existing fringe. Allow an extra inch of fringe on each side of the rug.
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Fold the overlapping ends of the new fringe under the sides of the rug to form a secure border at each edge and pin them in place.
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Hand-sew the replacement fringe to the base of the existing one with waxed thread, making sure to completely cover the old fringe.
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Double-stitch the overlapping ends of the replacement fringe to the underside of the rug. This will prevent the replacement fringe from fraying at the ends.
The Drip Cap
- Oriental rugs experience a great deal of wear and tear, due to daily use.
- Owners of handmade or valuable rugs should have the fringe repaired by a professional, which is often a lengthy and expensive process.
- Pin the replacement fringe to the base of the existing fringe.
- Double-stitch the overlapping ends of the replacement fringe to the underside of the rug.
Writer Bio
Morgan Richter has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television. Since 1999, she's written reviews and essays on pop culture topics for her personal website, "Preppies of the Apocalypse." Her novel, "Charlotte Dent", was a 2008 Semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards.
Photo Credits
- tanakawho/Flickr.com
- tanakawho/Flickr.com
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