Learn How To Make Your Own Wool Penny Rugs -- Here's How To Do It
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What are wool penny rugs? Well penny rugs actually got their start in prior centuries as a way to use up scraps of material -- and actually, penny rugs are not "rugs" in the traditional sense at all -- they normally do not sit on a floor. Penny rugs can be used on the tops of tables, beds, dressers and countertops. The name "penny" derives from the fact that in the past coins were used as a pattern -- traditional penny rugs are typically constructed using a repeated circle pattern.
The First Step: Gather Your Materials
The first step in constructing your wool penny rug is to gather the necessary materials. You will need some pieces of wool felt in complementary colors -- you can use scraps of material; just make sure you have enough to complete the size of wool penny rug you have in mind.
In addition to your wool felt you will need some sort of backing material -- linen or cotton tends to work well. You will, of course, need your needles and thread.
The Second Step: Cut and Sew the Pennies
Once you have all of your materials together, the next step in making your wool penny rug is to cut out three slightly different sizes ofcircles. You might want to use different sized coins, just like they did centuries ago -- for example, a penny, a quarter and a dollar coin. Make sure you cut out the circles carefully and use colors that go well together. When you are done you should have three sets of circles, in three different sizes -- small, medium, and large.
Now what you must do is to begin to sew these sets of circles together. When sewn together, these series of circles will give your wool penny rug its distinctive appearance. Begin by taking one of the smallest circles and sew it on to a middle-sized circle, then take those two circles and sew it on top of one of the largest circles of felt. Make up several sets of these before proceeding to the next step.
A Final Step: Arrange Your Design and Sew It Together
The final stage is quite simple: take your backing material and arrange your sets of circles, and sew them on permanently to the backing. Typically, when constructing wool penny rugs, the rows of concentric circles are offset a bit, placing a circle on the row below between two circles on the row above it. If you wish, you can finish off the construction of your wool penny rug with a decorative border.
Construction of these wool penny rugs is a great way to turn your bits and scraps of wool felt into an unusual and practical gift item. Wool penny rugs also make a great project for those who are just learning how to sew, as complicated stitches and construction techniques are not needed. So pull up a chair, kitchen materials together, and make a few wool penny rugs -- happy sewing!
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