• Blog
  • Home
  • How to Start a Blog
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Hundreds of ideas for creative ways to eat, make & decorate!

  • Chalk Couture SHOP
  • eat
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
  • make
    • crafts…
    • diy projects
    • cleaning and organizing
    • holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • 4th of July
      • Valentine’s Day
    • freebies
  • decorate
  • subscribe

how to trim a shag rug

Ever wanted to put a rug somewhere, but you just couldn’t find the right size? Odd shaped areas can be tricky, but you can cut down a rug to fit exactly where you need it in no time at all. With only a marker, a yard stick, utility knife and a hot glue gun, get the perfect size rug to fit your space in just a few minutes.

how to trim a rughow to trim a shag rug

First measure from the corner in however much you want to trim on each end. I wanted to trim off two inches, so I marked two inches in on each side.

how to trim a shag rug

Then draw a line from end to end to mark your cut line.

how to trim a shag rug

Next, take a utility knife and cut along the line (using a sharp blade is the key to a clean cut.)

how to trim a shag rug

Lastly, run a thick line of hot glue, right on the edge, to seal the rug fibers to the matting of the rug. Let it completely cool and you’re done. You can customize your rug to fit your space in about five minutes – and it’s so easy that anyone can do it.

how to trim a shag rug



ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________

Filed Under: DIY

About Gina Luker

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.

« Double Mint Brownies
Loaded Baked Potato Salad »
become a blogger banner

Comments

  1. Cindy Trobaugh says

    April 7, 2015 at 8:21 am

    Just what I was wondering about..rather then pay a pretty sum for rug I love but not the correct size..then here comes Your post. Perfect Thanks a Million Gina! Smiles.Cindy

    Reply
  2. Marilyn says

    April 7, 2015 at 11:23 am

    Oh, Gina! From the title of this post, I had visions of you pulling out the lawn mower! πŸ™‚ Thanks for the practical advise, as usual. Have a great day!

    Reply
  3. Karin Buenger says

    April 7, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Great idea!

    Reply
  4. E says

    April 3, 2016 at 10:24 am

    This is awesome. I have a shag rug from Ikea that looks very similar to the one you did. My old cat was sick and had an accident on the floor next to it, and of course it soaked into the rug. I rolled it up and dragged it into our laundry room. We’ve tried everything to get it out, including saturating it with a gallon of Nature’s Miracle. I just didn’t feel comfortable putting it back out into the family room for fear that one of our cats would smell it and pee on it again. I didn’t want to throw it away because I really liked it, it was practically new and it wasn’t terribly inexpensive for us. After a year of tripping over the rolled rug, I finally decided to make a last ditch effort to save it and googled “Can you cut an area rug”. Thank you, thank you!!! I’m sure you had no idea someone would use your idea for that purpose but it really helped save our favorite little rug…makes our basement theater so cozy!

    Reply
  5. elli says

    July 1, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    hi! i had a large rectangle area shag rug i wanted to cut in half and make into a long runner. everyone told me not to do it and said i would ruin the rug. i went online to get some tips anyway and your tips and encouragement were the best. i followed your super easy and clear guidelines and voila i now have a new runner rug! thank you!

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      July 2, 2018 at 12:22 pm

      Awesome Elli, good for you!! So glad you found it helpful πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Maggie says

    September 14, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    What happens to the loops that get cut in half haphazardly from the pile side up. Won’t it look eneven and be difficult to glue

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      September 17, 2018 at 10:15 am

      No it all works out fine Maggie, good luck πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Mona says

    September 19, 2018 at 3:20 pm

    What happens when you wash the rug? Does the superglue come out? What about multiple washes?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      September 20, 2018 at 9:15 am

      I haven’t had to wash it much, it’s in an area that doesn’t get much traffic. Wash on gentle and don’t put it in the dryer. You can always re apply the glue if you notice fraying πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Mona says

    September 21, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    Thank you.

    Reply
  9. Marie says

    March 4, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    Brilliant post Gina! Am about to get my ruler, utility knife and glue out to change a rectangular rug into a round one! Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      March 6, 2019 at 9:41 am

      Ha ha, thanks Marie, good luck!!

      Reply
  10. Nikki says

    April 27, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    Hi Gina I have a tight pile deep rug ( one you can poke your fingers in )! So more thick carpet. Can I cut that down in the same way?? Xx

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      April 29, 2019 at 8:26 am

      I would think so Nikki but you may want to try it in a small section before you do the whole thing just to be safe πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Jessica says

    June 8, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    Hi Gina,
    How has your trimmed rug held up over time?

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      June 10, 2019 at 1:24 pm

      It has held up great Jessica!

      Reply
  12. Becky Terry says

    November 12, 2019 at 9:08 pm

    I am so excited and relieved right now. We moved into our older house and had to pull up carpets. We decided to lay nice plywood and polyurethane for the new floors in all of the bedrooms. I really like rustic and different and am happy with them, but it was our first time and so they didn’t turn out exactly as I wanted. but they still look good. Anywho…..we decided to purchase almost room size rugs for each room to add warmth. I found and ordered a 15′ x 12′ shag rug and it arrived as a 15′ x 14′. Not gonna lie, I had anxiety and a bit of sadness because of this. Then, I stumbled across this blog and add insta smile….I am trying it this weekend. Thank you, thank you!!

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      November 13, 2019 at 5:58 am

      Oh yea! So glad I could help, good luck Becky!

      Reply
  13. Patty says

    January 1, 2020 at 3:22 pm

    Would it be plausible to only cut 2 sides and leave the other two as is? Mine is a front entry way and I can put the cut edges against a wall and the bottom of the stairs. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      January 2, 2020 at 7:14 am

      I don’t see why not Patty πŸ™‚

      Reply
  14. Barbara says

    January 26, 2020 at 7:05 am

    Thank you so much! I used a round shag carpet next to my banquette seating and needed the end that touched the banquette to be squared off. Your technique worked brilliantly and I’ve never seen a seating area look so perfect! Thanks for giving me the confidence to try this!

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      January 27, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Oh yea!! I am so happy it was helpful to you Barbara πŸ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Gina Luker

Privacy Policy & Disclosure Statement

Searching For Something?

The Shabby Creek Cottage is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

[instagram-feed]

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 The Shabby Creek Cottage Log in

ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________