Today we are talking about crocheting and rugs! I'm going to show you two different styles and materials, and you can pick one (or both!) to try, depending on what supplies you have laying around.  First, I'm going to show you how to crochet a beautiful farmhouse style jute rug with inexpensive twine from the dollar store. And then I'm going to demonstrate how I took strips of fabric from old t-shirts to make a fun rainbow project for my daughter's bedroom.

How to Make a Rug with Jute Twine

First, the jute rug! Let me show you how I covered our sad, flaking, painted porch floor a few years ago before we made it the way it is now. I had painted it as a quick fix while we decided how we were going to finish it properly, and that "quick fix" turned into three years later!

For something rustic and durable, my first thought was an outdoor jute rope rug. I love jute rugs because of their durability and their farmhouse look, and I thought it would be fun to try a DIY rug project! A lot of you love dollar store DIY ideas for their affordability, so I decided to challenge myself to create a rug out of dollar store twine... and I love how it turned out! Apparently I'm not bad at rug-making, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be making more of these. As you can see, I found an easy solution to my porch floor problem while we waited to replace it. 

I'm guessing a few of you will be hesitant about jute rope, thinking it might be difficult to work with or scratchy on the hands! However, I actually found that this material was softer and more pliable than you would think, and I found it far less scratchy than sisal. So that was a pleasant surprise!

This DIY rug covered our beat-up porch floor, and it looked great with our patio set! Plus, it was a ton of fun to make and it's a great beginner's crochet project. I find crocheting to be much easier than knitting, and since there is no sewing or weaving involved at all (even for the pretty fringe!), it's a very straightforward project. Unlike if you were attempting a braided rug or rag rug, you don't need any specialized skills either.  Above all, the best part about this project is you can make it as big or small as you want! I've chosen to make a mat-sized rug, but you could make a hall runner or even an area rug sized project! The sky and your patience level are the only limits here.

First, to make this DIY jute rug, you'll need about five rolls of thick dollar store jute rope, a large Q16 crochet hook, and an afternoon! Follow the step by step instructions in my rug tutorial below to create your own beautiful craft rug.

Ready to get started? Follow along with my DIY jute rug video tutorial, below!

The DIY farmhouse jute crochet rug pattern:

Supplies: Five rolls jute twine from Dollarama & Q16 Crochet Hook

1. First, Ch 60 (or as many chains as needed to create the rug length you want; mine is about 4' long)
2. Row 2: Ch 2. Skip 1. *DC into the front of the next chain.* Repeat from * to * until end of row.
3. Rows 3 - (However many rows needed to create your rug width): Repeat Row 1 and 2.
4. Finish by trimming rope & pulling end through final loop.
5. Lastly, with your scissors cut 24+ pieces of jute twine, fold them in half, and pull them through the ends of the rug at even intervals to create a fringe on either end. These fringe pieces are finished with a simple knot instead of a stitch, so they are easy enough to add!

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How to Make a Rug with Jute Twine

Yield: 1

Active Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $20

I love jute rugs because of their durability and their farmhouse look, and I thought it would be fun to try a DIY rug project! A lot of you love dollar store DIY ideas for their affordability, so I decided to challenge myself to create a rug out of dollar store twine... and I love how it turned out!

Print

Materials

• 5 Rolls of Jute Twine, I got mine at Dollarama

Tools

• Scissors
• Q16 Crochet Hook

Instructions

1. Ch 60 (or as many chains as needed to create the rug length you want; mine is about 4' long)
2. Row 1: Ch 2. Skip 1. *DC into the back of the next chain.* Repeat from * to * until end of row.
3. Row 2: Ch 2. Skip 1. *DC into the front of the next chain.* Repeat from * to * until end of row.
4. Rows 3 - (However many rows needed to create your rug width): Repeat Row 1 and 2.
5. Finish by trimming rope & pulling end through final loop.
6. With your scissors cut 24+ pieces of jute twine, fold them in half, and pull them through the ends of the rug at even intervals to create a fringe on either end. These fringe pieces are finished with a simple knot instead of a stitch, so they are easy enough to add!

Need help learning the basics of crochet?

Check out this video & playlist with some crochet tips and basics from Melanie Ham.

So, there you have it! A beautiful piece of DIY home decor. I love this piece so much and it was such an easy and relaxing craft, I'm probably going to make some for the inside of the house as well.  The only place I can't see this working very well is in the bathroom as a bath mat, but other than that I think it would be lovely in the kitchen, hallway, or entryway. I might even consider placing a rug pad underneath it if I do end up using one indoors. I love making my home a little crafty nest and I hope this rug inspired you to do the same!

How to Make a Rug with T-Shirt Yarn 

Let's move on to the next project now, shall we? I can't wait to show you the t-shirt rug I made for my daughter's bedroom. When I was planning Little B's room makeover, I knew we needed a brightly coloured rainbow rug somewhere in the mix. But instead of buying one, I decided to make one! Using some old knit jersey t-shirts, I made strips of fabric into t-shirt yarn. I know many of you are always looking for ways to use leftover fabric scraps, and hopefully this crochet t-shirt yarn rug will give you a fun option! It's so easy to use your creativity and create something truly unique.

Here's how to make this fun project for your own space:

Materials (for an approximately 27" x 50" rug):

• 12  yards knit jersey fabric in a variety of colours (I got mine from OnlineFabricStore.net) made into t-shirt yarn using this method
• Q16 crochet hook

Directions:

1. Chain 40 with your first desired colour of t-shirt yarn.
2. Turn your work, chain one, and then single crochet into the next chain. SC into each chain stitch until you reach the end of the row.
3. Next, turn your work, chain one, and then SC into each SC stitch below until you reach the end of the row.
4. Continue as above, changing your yarn colour as you wish to create stripes. To change your yarn, cut the current yarn colour about 6" from your work. Begin crocheting with the new colour, leaving a 6" tail.
5. For my rug, I made random sized stripes, but you could make them all the same height or create a pattern.
6. Then, once you've reached the length that you want your rug to be, finish off the final row, cut the yarn about 6" from your work, and then pull this tail of yarn through your final loop.
7. Finally, weave all of the loose tails of yarn into your work with your crochet hook.

This yarn makes a very thick rug that will wash wonderfully in a machine!

Want to see a video tutorial on how to make this rug? Watch here: 

And, in case you missed it, here is the magical way I make t-shirt yarn from knit jersey fabric that I posted on my YouTube channel!

Special thanks to OnlineFabricStore.net for supplying me with the gorgeous knit jersey fabric for this project. In fact, this was the perfect material for our special rainbow rug and I always love ordering from OnlineFabricStore.net!

Happy Crocheting!

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