Tips for upcycling your carpet offcuts

As we become more and more aware of the impact of our throw-away culture on the environment, most of us are trying to limit the amount of waste we create and do our bit for the future of the planet. If you have ever had a carpet fitted in your home, no doubt you will have been left with a pile of offcuts and no idea what to do with them. Many such offcuts end up as landfill, but there are lots of ways in which you can use them and give them a new purpose.

Create a doormat

This is an easy hack and one that even someone with no DIY experience can do. You will need to cut the carpet to the right shape and size first, which you can do with a carpet knife and something to guide your cuts so that they are straight. Once you have cut the carpet, you will need some adhesive binding to stop it fraying. Cut this to length, fold it over the edges of the carpet and you have made a simple yet attractive doormat! You can use exactly the same technique to create a runner for a hallway or any other long, narrow space.

Make floor protectors for your furniture

If you are worried about chair or table legs scratching wooden, laminate or vinyl flooring, cut small pieces of carpet and stick them to the bottom of your furniture.

Make a cat scratcher

If you have cats in your home, you will probably know how much they love to scratch carpets, furniture, and anything else they can get their paws on. By making a scratcher, you encourage your cats to practise their natural instincts but leave your furniture alone. Use heavy-duty glue to stick carpet offcuts onto a wooden board and attach it to the wall, or wrap carpet around a post to create a homemade scratching post.

Use it for insulation

Do you have a boarded-out loft or a concrete floor garage that feels extra chilly for most of the year? Use large offcuts to add a bit of warmth in these areas.

Keep it for repairs

Finally, it is always worth holding back some spare carpet to use in the event of damage to your main carpet. Depending on the size of the damaged area and the type of carpet, it is often possible to replace stained or worn patches with a carefully cut piece from an offcut.