It's very easy, but time consuming, but I think the end result was worth it. If you can manage to cut strips and make a simple knot, you can make this baby no sweat!
I've been wanting to make one for a long time now and I realized I had I everything I needed in my massive craft stash. Plus the kids need a bathroom makeover, and I figured this would be a jump start and would get my butt in gear to accomplish it. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
I don't know what's going on, but some of my pics are coming out sideways, no matter what I do. I am rather annoyed at this.
For the rug you will need:
- Old t-shirts (or new, whatever floats your boat)
- Non-skid rug padding. Make sure it's a grid pattern with holes large enough to weave your shirt strips through. I have tons of this and I think I may have gotten it from JoAnn Fabrics, but don't quote me on that. You can get it by the yard; it's back with the big rolls of home decor fabrics.
- Scissors and/or rotary cutting tool and mat. You can do this with just scissors, but a rotary cutting tool makes it soooo much easier. And faster.
Start by cutting your rug padding to the size you want your finished rug. I decided to go with a 20" X 24" rug. Which is not a standard bath rug size, but it fits perfectly where I want it to go. That's the beauty of making your own rug; you can customize it to any size or color you want. I can always visualize what I want, but finding it is another matter entirely. Apparently, stores do not share my artistic and creative visions. So I decided I just to make my own stuff whenever possible, since they can't accommodate me.
Okay, off the soapbox. Next, cut away the neck, seams and sleeves, then cut the shirt into strips. Mine are about 5" wide by about 2" high. I wasn't exactly on the money. This is where the rotary cutter comes in handy. I saved all my scraps to stuff my giant floor pouf (which will be made when I get enough stuff to stuff it with).
Next, grab the ends of the strips and pull into long, curled strips. Like this:
Now for the time consuming part. Thread the strips through one of the squares in the rug padding, then tie it off using a simple knot. Just knot it once. Just like the pics below.
I alternated every other row and column. If you try to do it through every one, the rug curls under and won't lay flat. I found this out through trial and error. It's a ginormous pain in the tush to have to go back and untie these babies. Really ginormous.
I did this part while watching TV. Multi-tasking at it's finest. Plus, my hands were too busy to use them to feed my face. If you've ever watched Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, you know what I'm talking about. Especially the pizza joint episodes. Yum.
I had originally decided to do this in all black with occasional gray flecks, but I didn't like it. So, after a quick consultation with one of my daughters, we decided to go with a gray stripe across the top and down one side. And as I said before, it was a ginormous pain in the tush. But I like the stripes much better, so I guess it was worth it. After you're all done, you can trim any pieces that are too long.
Here's the finished product (the *&%^! pic is sideways again).
I like this so much I'm making another one to put in front of my shower! It is very cushy and comfy underfoot and perfect for standing on when you get out of the shower! I found another rug I want to try for in front of their bathroom sinks. It's made using friendship bracelet knots. I just need more black t-shirts and some hemp rope, neither of which I have left in the craft stash. But I still have tons of other stuff left! Next on my list is a Valentine's wreath made using dyed coffee filters. I'm just not sure which dyeing technique I'll use. Maybe both? Hey, why not? I have plenty of time !
Chris :)
Chris :)
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