Have extra carpet pieces? Let us turn them into area rugs, runners or doormats. Coles binding, serging, and made-to-order rug departments can take your leftover carpet and add the finishing touch to make something special out of your scrap carpet.
In order to make an area rug from a carpet remnant or swath of broadloom carpet, there are several ways to finish the edges to prevent fraying. The most common choices for carpet finishing are binding, serging, and fringing. Generally speaking, however, these aren’t techniques you can do yourself. Rather, it requires that you have a professional do the work with specialty machines.
Binding
Binding is typically the easiest and least-expensive method of finishing carpet edges. Binding the edge of a carpet involves wrapping a strip of fabric—which is usually made from either polyester or cotton—around the edge of the carpet and using a carpet-binding machine to stitch it in place.
Among the benefits of binding carpet edges in this way are the relatively low-cost and the vast selection of binding materials available. There is a wide variety of colors to choose from in binding, meaning that virtually any color of carpet can be matched. By matching the binding to the color of the carpet, the edge of the carpet will blend properly, looking like it was there all along. A contrasting color could be also chosen to create an accent border, but since the binding is so thin (about 1/4-inch) most designers feel that the contrast effect usually doesn’t pack the necessary punch needed for an accent color.
Serging
Serging the edge of the carpet pieces produces a finished look that seems hand-sewn, even though it is most often done by machine. Serging is also called overlock stitching, and it is done with a special machine designed specifically for this purpose. This method is almost always more expensive than binding.
When finished, a serged edge looks as though a thick thread or yarn has been continuously wrapped around the edge of the carpet, which creates a higher-end look than simple binding. This is the type of carpet stitching that’s commonly seen on manufactured area rugs. Serging is also available in a wide assortment of colors, although many places may have fewer choices in serging colors than in binding colors.
Fringing
Fringing is a common and somewhat iconic finishing treatment for area rugs. In hand-knotted rugs, the fringe is necessary, as it is the edge of the “backbone” fibers of the rug. On machine-made rugs, however, fringe is for aesthetics only and serves no practical purpose. Fringing is usually the most expensive method of the three, but also the most iconic.
While many people enjoy the look of an area rug with fringe, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before choosing a fringe. Vacuuming the rug is more difficult, for example, since the ends tend to get sucked into the vacuum and tangled. It is also fairly difficult to clean in the event of stains or soiling.
You can also buy our ready-made remnants. We have hundreds of bound remnants at our San Diego & San Marcos locations ready for you to take home today, offered in an array of colors, textures, and sizes—from doormat to full sized area rugs.
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