about rug borders and edges

BEFORE: with no border AFTER: the same rug with a heavy double dark colored border

Should a rug be finished with a dark border?

      Making rugs with found fabrics can present challenges. I want my rugs to look cohesive and planned. I want the colors to coordinate with the rest of my decor. I do not want rugs in my house that look too homemade. I want them to look high quality, not garish or slapdash. ​  This can be a challenge when you are using only fabrics that are available to you instead of picking out materials at a retail store.  
   I have a trick that helps me achieve those goals.  It is the addition of a dark border along the outside final rows to finish my rag rug.

oval rag rug before any border is added

oval rag rug with the addition of a thin black border. I found this to be already much improved, but not quite finished yet

the same rug after the dark border is widened

 I am  sharing examples of rugs both with and without their borders.  I have already stated my preference.  I will leave it  you to decide whether you agree or not.  One thing is for sure, the decision to add or leave off a border will dramatically change the final appearance of a rag rug.   I hope this is helpful and that you feel more confident when you make a decision about edging your next project.  It will make a big impact.

 

border technique and style choices

   My rug borders are all prettty similiar to each other.  I tend to simply single crochet around the edges of my finished rug.  I will stitch around my rug as few as one or two rounds or as many as a dozen rounds.  It depends on the size of the rug as well as the depth of my yarn stash in the border color.
   While I like complicated or three dimensional border stitches on an afghan, I do not put that kind of border on my rug because I believe it to be  a tripping hazard.  I want to have my edges as flat and close to the floor below them as possible.
USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS.....You may notice the oblong navy and lime green rug pictured has a bobble stitch edge.  That is obviously neither flat or close to the ground.   I made an exception to my rule because of the way that I use that rug.  It is so long and narrow because it sits along the edge of my bathtub as our bathmat.  That places the rug in a corner of the room that is not a high traffic area.  We step on it when we get in or out of the tub only.  There is no through traffic.   I had just learned to do a bobble stitch and I figured a bumpy edge would do no harm in that location.

Navy border makes a strong impact here

      I have a plan to break my rule once again in the near future.  I want to make a rug that is the darkest color in the center and becomes lighter the closer to the edge it gets.  I have not decided if I will make this a  one color Ombre or work with several colors.  I have an inclination to try this idea out with recycled denim.  I like the idea of the indigo variation that a rug like that would have.   But denim, while beautiful and durable can be difficult to crochet with.... but that is a topic for another day.
    Let me know if you agree that the rugs pictured are improved by their border.  Will you add one to your next rug? 

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