New area rug delivered. How do I get it to lie flat?

Put heavy pieces of furniture on the upturned areas for a day or so. Or you could roll it up the opposite direction and wait a day or so. Either option should make it lay flat.

Gigantic iron. Or, what ^^she said.

Two or three heavy books on each of the corners for several days

Let it be unrolled with the face down for a few days. Gravity will take care of the rest.

I actually read a question on ask.metafilter a few weeks ago and that is what was suggested.

edit ::: Ohhhhh. Rug Tape

You could hire four flutherites to stand on each corner for a day or so.

You still have that encyclopedia!?

A few days of being laid out at room temp should relax it.

Is the rug a flat weave like a Kilim or does it have a nap, like an Oriental? The heavier rugs need some weights at the four corners for a few days to flatten the bend. You no longer have kids or animals at home? Pity.

I had a similar problem recently. I just forcibly rolled the ends the opposite direction for a few minutes, and kind of bent (without creasing) in the corners. When I put it down again I then stepped on all four corners and it laid perfectly. Manhandle that thing. Show it who’s boss!

@gailcalled, it’s this one. (I saw the same thing on a Macy’s site for more than double the price.) It has a nap.

Kids are grown, animals have all gone to cat heaven. Some pluses there and some minuses, for sure. Not close to having grandchildren yet.

Right now it’s lying face down, and I’ve walked on the corners a little just to squoosh ‘em. Yes, I do still have that encyclopedia, @jonsblond. I called the school district, and the person sounded interested, but no one has called me back. Should be perfect for stacking on rug corners. I’d love to have the 16 flutherites, but I know I could never keep up with their appetites.

@Jeruba The beer alone would break the bank! Very pretty rug by the way.

@Jeruba: If you lived with me, we could haul enormous boulders from my stream. Then we could be roomies in the ortho wing at the local hospital. By the time we’re released, the rug should be flat.

Either place something heavy on the sticking up parts or just let gravity do it’s job. If it remains laying flat then it should relax naturally.

@Jeruba – I was going to point out one useful purpose for that encyclopedia if you still had it (and I was pretty sure you would), but I see @jonsblond was quicker off the draw than I.

@Jeruba Could you handle 4 appetites? Four flutherites, one for each corner. ;)

@augustlan, thank you. If I put a keg on one corner, maybe I could manage with a dozen flutherites.

@gailcalled, that sounds like enough fun that I think we should do it. But I can’t go right now. I’m standing on the corner of my rug holding my big Webster’s in one hand and a sack of style guides in the other, and we’re going to need those in the hospital..

@Darwin, did you notice my tags?

@jonsblond, I could! I have some real maple syrup, too.

All you folks with practical suggestions: I appreciate those too! Going to try them. Thank you very much.

The Q sounds like you have a rug that’s misbehaving…

@Milladyret – Yeah, it does. Anybody know a good rug trainer?

It is now being trained by ten volumes of the Britannica.

When it learns this one, I’ll be back to ask how I get it to sit up and roll over.

But once it learns to roll over, you’ll have to retrain it to lie flat.

Rugs have very short memories.

@Jeruba: It already knows how to roll over.

You’re right! I can’t wait to show off its tricks.