I have 3 large sisal rugs with black cotton binding. After one summer season the black binding has faded considerably. Any ideas? I've considered painting them with fabric paint and a small foam roller. That will be tedious, and I don't know if the binding will feel stiff and possibly crack with use. Are there any liquid dyes that might work and not be a huge mess? I really want to use these rugs. Your help is apprecaited!
Any liquid dye would probably seep into the sisal fibers too. How wide is the binding? You could go over the top of it with a wider tape http://www.n-ccarpet.com/binding-tapes.html
There is a method with staples and glue that is virtually invisible when it's finished. If you are interested in this method, let me know and I will find a tutorial for it.
Painting may or may not be an option, especially if the rugs are exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. For the same amount of work you can replace the binding. To make the new binding easier to apply, remove the old binding first. You should do that before you order binding tape because there is a very good chance the sisal will also be faded and a different color where the tape has protected it from UV rays. Since most of the binding tape doesn't unravel, it can be glued from both sides. I would use a white craft glue or fabric glue vs. a glue gun.
Thank you for your suggestions. It sounds like too much work to replace the binding, although the idea of using polyester would probably help with the fading issue. One rug is 9X12, and the other two are 5X7's, so it would involve a lot of time and effort. Maybe I'll try to sell them on Craig's list and start over.
Adding the sisal tape atop the existing was the idea I initally suggested (perhaps I wasn't clear?). That doesn't sound like a lot of work to me. Do research the product more tho. If the rugs are otherwise in good shape, it's a practical solution.
Posts: 16834 | Location: Right here, duh! ;) | Registered: Nov 03, 2005
I had a sisal rug with black binding that did the exact same thing, however it was a much smaller scale rug. I painted it just using black craft paint and it worked fine. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Posts: 2656 | Location: Bay Area, Calif. | Registered: Mar 16, 2004
Fabric paint from the craft store is made so it will not get stiff and crack like craft acrylic paint will when dry. (you can also get a fabric additive to mix with the acrylic paint, but since you are doing black, I would spring for the paint itself)
Just depends on how steady your hand is as to whether it is doable for you. I would get a good flat artist brush...not a foam brush, to apply. The paint should have enough body that it will not seep much into the sisal area (thinned paint might), but I would stop just short of the edge anyway.This message has been edited. Last edited by: conrad,
Originally posted by SusanBradfordKent: Any liquid dye would probably seep into the sisal fibers too. How wide is the binding? You could go over the top of it with a wider tape http://www.n-ccarpet.com/binding-tapes.html
Um, not to get into the weeds here, but Susan posted the link to the original site first. Let's give credit where credit is due.
