Thirties Depression Baby, Auckland.

There was a really horrible stain in our wall-to-wall carpet. Fortunately we had some off-cuts and did a successful repair job by cutting out a square (in our case 200 x 200 mm) and replacing it by fitting and gluing down a corresponding square taken from an off-cut. This method is not for the faint-hearted! However, it can be like invisible mending if done with utmost precision. You need to match the pattern and fit the size exactly (make the patch slightly larger than the hole to start with, then trim it back millimetre by millimetre as required). You need good tools and endless patience. If possible, have enough spare carpet ready to have a second go if at first you don’t succeed. You can, of course, use a contrasting patch as well, e.g. in a child’s or teenager’s room.