How to Make a Carpet Patch

Thought you were stuck with that frayed patch of carpet? Here’s how to patch the patch:

Materials and Tools:

carpet paddle
heavy-duty shears
leather gloves
carpet needle
marking pen
comb
carpet remnant
seaming glue
seaming tape
upholstery thread

Steps:

1. Use the carpet paddle to slide under the carpet and free up a section. Trim off any frayed edges.

2. Position the remnant piece so that the nap lines up with the nap of the surrounding carpet. Use a non-permanent marker to mark the back of the remnant along one side.

3. Cut off the marked side, reposition the piece and mark it for next cut. Continue until the piece is sized to fit the repair area. Leave a little extra along the top and bottom of the patch to tuck under the existing carpet. You may need to fine-tune the piece carefully if dealing with a complex area such as the corner of a stair.

4. Once you have a patch ready, cut seaming tape and slide it under the existing carpet, positioning it so it will catch both the old carpet and the patch, and peel off the backing. Stick the patch to the tape and use the carpet paddle to tuck excess patch under the surrounding carpet.

5. Thread a carpet needle with upholstery thread and carefully sew the edges of the patch to the carpet.

6. Blend the fibers of the patch into the carpet with a comb. Seal the edges with a little seaming glue.