How to Make a Blue Braided Rug

If you want a unique focal point for your floor think about making a braided rug in shades of soft blue and white. Braided rugs are made by braiding a long stretch of rope and then coiling it into a pattern and stitching the coils together tightly to keep them in place. The braids can be made from natural fibers like cotton, sisal or jute, or artificial fibers like nylon. The actual braiding is done using a technique called flatbed, to make sure the rug doesn’t have uncomfortable bumps and ridges.

An interesting suggestion that works well for a modern, largely white or Scandinavian style room is it to make a blue rug by braiding rags in various shades of blue and white taken from old clothes, jeans, towels, or anything mainly blue that can be braided and stitched. The method is quite simple. You cut the fabric into strips, making sure that you take out any seams, buttons, zippers or fasteners as these items won’t braid smoothly and will destroy the flatbed effect and you join the strips into long lengths.

Braiding is usually done using three strands of material, but you can use multiples of three, depending on how narrow or thick you want the braid to be. Thick braids have better tensile strength, making the rug tougher, but they will also reduce the flatness of the rug. To make a braid, you can stitch the three strands together at the top, or make a knot, and then fasten them onto a firm surface like a pillar. Braid the three strips as tightly as you can. The tighter the braid, the smoother the rug. Remember that the rug should be made of one continuous braid, so once your strips run out, attach more material by stitching the ends of new strands on the old ones. Do the joining carefully to maintain the smoothness of the braid.

Once you have a long enough braid, coil the whole long braid into shape. Round and oval rugs are the most common shapes, but you can be creative and come up with something different. Stitch the coils firmly in place, and if you wish, reinforce the bonds by stitching a backing material to the lower side of the mat. It can be rubber, nylon or raffia. You now have your very own blue braided rug, and you have also helped the environment by recycling fabric.

How To Make A Braided Rug

Trellis Garden Netting For Amateur Gardeners

While this article advocates buying a product instead of re-using a recyclable item we at Irish Attic feel that its well worth it for our readers to explore gardening in small spaces, on walls and fences and even rooftops as a way to live a little greener and enjoy a delicious bounty as well!

Of all the different ways that netting can be used in the garden, a surprisingly small number of people are familiar with garden trellis netting or its uses. For those that are familiar and experienced in its application in the home garden, not actively using the netting for their gardening is simply unimaginable. The versatility and space efficiency are simply too valuable to dismiss.

The primary purpose of trellis garden netting is to implement some form or vertical gardening techniques into your design. Some plants, such as green beans, are naturally inclined to use trellis netting for their growth. They need a way to spread out, grow, and climb. The netting provides that structure for them to grab hold of, and helps facilitate their healthy progress.

What many people fail to recognize is that your typical vine plants are not the only types of vegetables that thrive in a vertical environment. Not only can you grow beans up your trellis, but cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, peas, melons, and a number of other indeterminate plants will also thrive. A basic rule of thumb is that if the plants can spread out on the ground to grow, it can spread out vertically as well.

The first question that people ask is whether or not the plant and/or trellis can really hold the weight of the fruit that is produced. Particularly for plants such as melons, pumpkins, and squash, the fruit can be quite heavy. The only real deterrent to this is whether or not your support structure can handle the weight. As long as the supports for the netting are strongly secured, the netting will hold and the plant will be more than strong enough to handle its own weight. If you grow paranoid, you can simply support the plant with additional homemade systems.

How To Grow a Container Garden

3 Places Other Than Ebay to Find Cheap Used Furniture

There are so many ways to “live green” and using items that are already in existence, whether aquired from your grandmother or purchased from someone else’s grandmother is totally in line with the “Irish Attic” philosophy. Thank you to today’s Guest Author for giving us some tips for how to aquire vintage pieces, whether antique or not, if they find a new life in your home, they will be treasured.

An almost limitless resource of used furniture exists just waiting to transform your home into a dream interior at a fraction of the cost of new furniture. Of course antiques and collectables make this choice of furnishing expensive so how do you find the sort of furniture that you can afford?

Fortunately because of the proliferation of old furniture, there are plenty of sources to check out and not just online either. You might even find an antique for a bargain at the same time.

Auction houses

Auctions can be a great place to find bargains. It’s important to attend the viewing day which is usually a couple of days before the auction. Make sure that you decide in advance what you are going to spend on your desired piece and STICK to it! Find out where your local auction house is by looking in the local press, the phone book or searching online. make sure you can collect your purchase within the allotted time. You will need a truck especially if you’ve splashed out on a complete set of bedroom furniture!

House Clearance

Auctioneers also run house clearance sales. Again look online for these companies and join the mailing list. You will be bidding against professionals who are looking for bargains but don’t be put off by this, you may be willing to pay more than they are as you are not looking for a profit.

Garage Sales and Garbage Skips

The easiest place to find cheap and free used furniture. Don’t be afraid to barter. Ultimately, garage sales are designed to get rid of unwanted stuff. They’ll be grateful that you are taking it away for them! Make sure you get the owner’s permission to look through their skip if you decide to try this idea.

Although Ebay is a great place to find all sorts of used furniture and unwanted items but it’s actually quite a lot of fun acquiring your heirlooms of the future offline. Each piece will have a unique story of its own to tell.

How to Make Used Furniture Look Awesome