How to Make Your Own Rugs

You can make your own environmentally friendly rugs out of old and ruined clothes. If you follow the steps below you will have a very durable and colorful throw rug that you can place in front of doors or anywhere else in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Scraps of material
• Large sewing needle
• Heavy duty thread

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the scraps of material that you will use. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut each piece into strips 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide. You will need three very long strips because you will be braiding the material together. Because you are using scraps you will have to sew pieces together, end to end. The length of the pieces depends on how large you want your rug to be. Use 10-foot lengths to start. You can always add on later for a larger rug.

2. Sew the ends of the three strands together at one end and then place that end over a small post or have someone hold it to get you started.

3. Braid the pieces together. Use a safety pin to secure the three strands of the far end together.

4. To make a round rug, wind the braid into a circle. As you are doing this, sew the braid together so that it won't unravel and come apart.

5. Before you finish check whether this is the size you want. If you want it larger, sew more strips to each of the three pieces of the braid and continue braiding. Repeat step four.

6. When you have the size you want, finish off the end by sewing the three pieces together and then to the rug itself.