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Have you ever found the perfect rug after weeks of scrolling only to realize it doesn’t fit the space you imagined it in? That’s exactly what happened to Marynn Udvarhelyi, the founder of Wildflower Home Blog. But instead of shoving the carpet into its previously vacuum-sealed packaging to ship it back, she found a way to resize it. Turns out the task is as easy as measure, cut, finish.
Heads-up: The technique works best with an abstract print or bordered pattern, where there is a clear place to crop without the design looking strange afterward. After measuring the floor of your space to figure out the dimensions you want, just trim the rug with a box cutter or sharp utility knife, using a ruler or following the rug’s natural border to keep the lines straight. (Standard scissors will take much longer—and hurt your hands more—depending on the thickness of the carpet’s weave.) One thing to watch out for is trimming directly on the floor, as you may end up with scuffs and scratches. Put down a mat or cutting board to protect the surface.
After you’ve reached your desired rug size, the final step is to bind the edges to avoid fraying. You can use traditional Elmer’s glue to lay flat the edges or fray-check, but Udvarhelyi took her finished product to a local carpet company and had it professionally bound with decorative trim. Rug-induced tantrum averted!