Handmade Mats and Ruffle Rugs

: Today’s article is about handmade mats and features an easy DIY rug-making technique that even kids can do. This handmade ruffle rug offers a great way to blow new life into the mountain of unused or outgrown t-shirts in your family’s (and your neighbors’) closets. (Qui vedete come usarle per fare un tappeto da casa.) Fabulous and colorful, they would make hip and fun floor mats for bedrooms and bathrooms. With colors wisely chosen, it could even be a kitchen mat too!

Step-by-step Instructions for these Handmade Mats

1. Decided on the color scheme of your rug for your chosen location.

2. Cut strips of t-shirts in those colors. 3/4” width is a good average choice but make it fit the size of the weave of your base mat.

3. Use an old (Mexican) woven rag rug as a base. You can also buy inexpensive ones at budget homewear stores. Or, you can get yourself a Blank Latch Rug Canvas With Grid. This one measuring 36”x60” is only $7.50. Tip: If you use a canvas as a base, make sure you cover the entire rug with t-shirt ruffles.

4. With a big-eyed plastic needle or a crochet hook size 4 or bigger, weave your t-shirt strips  through every 3rd or 4th weaving thread (see picture below and video).  Leave a 2-3 inch loop between each stitch you make.

5. After a few stitches, with your fingers, pull and adjust each loop so that they are all of even length.

6. Cover your rug either in patches or in its totality, depending on your desired design.

7. When done adding the t-shirt loops all over, cut all t-shirt loops and your ruffle rug is done.

The end.

The Ruffle Rug Making Kit for Kids

If you don’t have enough suitable old t-shirts or t-shirt yarn laying around, you can also simply buy Alex Toys Make a Ruffle Rug Craft Kit

How to Make a Ruffle Rag Rug –(video tutorial)

Video Tutorial                   Source images &  kid craft kits:  Alex Toys

Where to get a Base Mat for your Ruffle Rug

If you can’t find an old rug in the garage, nor at your local Goodwill store, and if you insist to buy a new one, most budget house wear stores will sell you some. Ikea, for example, has flat-woven Signe rugs (2’ x 2’ 9” or 60 x 90 cm) for $3.99. Or, if you prefer to work with a clean slate and also if you prefer to make a bigger rug, you can buy inexpensive blank Latch Rug Canvas With Grid. A large rug base of 36 x 60″ costs only $7.50 and could be cut to size into many smaller mats or left as one hug rug base.

Tip 1: adjust the width of your t-shirt strips to the weave of your base mat. Also, you may wish to leave more stitches in between each loop.

Tip 2: I would machine wash all your t-shirts before using.  Handmade rugs tend to be more delicate and are better washed by hand.

Oh, rugs, rugs

and more rugs…   

Can’t get enough of them :_)

Other RECYCLED HANDMADE MATS and RUGS

(Rug making patterns, instructions & tips)

• Eco-friendly Luxury Bath Rugs – tutorial
• Care tips for Eco-friendly Bath Rugs
• Contemporary Soft ‘Grass’ Floor Mats (photo right)
• DIY Anthropologie: Burlap ‘Animal Feed Bag’ Floor Mats
• Recycled knitted Cabled Sweater Floor Rugs
• Contemporary Handmade / Crochet Area Rugs
• Rugs for Kids Bedrooms and Playrooms