A DIY fringed table runner

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on one of my links and make a purchase, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

I’ve been finding myself venturing out to the Dollar Store more and more these past couple of weeks thanks to the cute and inexpensive fall garland I was able to create from their supplies.

My most recent find was this little hidden gem. Literally! These small black and white chevron rugs where hidden on a shelf in the back of the store. I thought they were so cute and tried to think of a use for them. My husband suggested placemats for our new table, which was a great idea! I grabbed four and headed home to try them out!

Once we were home though, it was clear they would be way too large as placemats. Since I had just refinished our dining table, I was still on the hunt for a cute runner, mostly to protect the surface from my centerpieces. I really liked the thicker texture of these rugs, so I tried to figure out how I could combine multiple to create a runner without too much sewing.

After trying a couple of layouts, I figured out the best way to create my runner!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

DOLLAR STORE RUGS | SCISSORS | SEWING MACHINE OR NEEDLE AND THREAD IF BY HAND | PINS

HOW TO

For this project, I am going to connect each section by the fringes.

The first thing you will want to do is determine how wide and long you want to make your runner. I personally have a large rectangular table and wanted it to hang off, so four rugs long was the perfect length for me.

My main problem was that the rug was too wide. I measured what I thought would be a good width for my table, which came out to be around 10.5 inches. Therefore, I would need to cut one side of the rug and sew the edge over.

I cut lengthwise at about 11.5 inches, which, lined up right at the point of the pattern, so it was easy to cut straight.

Next, you will want to fold the edge over and pin it, as it is a heavier fabric and won’t stay on its own. From here, use your sewing machine or hand stitch a simple seam to create your edge and keep the rug from unraveling.

This was my first time using a sewing machine in more than 10 years, so if I can do this in a day so can you! If you don’t have access to a machine, hand stitching is very simple to learn.

Repeat this on all four rugs. You should only be sewing the one side.

Now we are done with sewing! To connect each rug, we are going to tie the fringes together.

To begin, untie each fringe. The fringes from the end of one rug should pair up evenly with the fringes of the connecting rug. If they don’t, just split them or tie multiples. Grab one set from each side and tie them together. Doing this will close the gap between the two rugs. You can get creative here with your knots, too!

That’s it! This might require a little more work since you will need to cut and sew to make your runner the appropriate width, but you really can’t beat a $4 table runner! I love the texture and fun this adds to my home! Make sure to share your projects with us @ruffandrenew on Instagram!