How to Make a Braided Rag Rug

Welcome, all ye good people, to a how-to instruction guide to make a braided rag rug out of old/repurposed t-shirts! DIY or bust!

STEP 1:  Collect old t-shirts in the colors you fancy.

33 t-shirts @ $0.65 each @Goodwill Outlet Bins

STEP 2: Allow family members to steal shirts for wearing purposes.

  

STEP 3: Cut up t-shirts into 2" strips with rotary cutter and mat.

STEP 4: Braid strips together, mixing colors or using one color/tee at a time.

STEP 5:  Sew braids together in a circle on a flat surface by hand or machine.

Sew on a flat surface.

Hand-sewn Stitches

NOTE: If the braids are too small (1" like in the photo below), the rug will be more susceptible to ruffling/lettuce-leafing/curling. (Not great. I started over with 2" strips for a thicker, more sturdy rug, sewing on a flat surface (table, board, floor) this time to avoid rumples.

 

BLOCKING: If the rug is warped, wrinkly, wavy, or curling up in places, you can block it like you would a knitting project. Get it wet and lie it flat in the shape you want it. You can even lie a sheet over it with bricks, books, or any flat, heavy objects holding the rug in shape and pressing down and warpage. Let it dry like this and it should keep its shape.

WASHING: The finished product can be machine washed (use a laundromat triple-loader for larger rugs) or soaped and hosed down, then dried flat in the sun on a driveway.

This round glass table was a perfect working space for keeping the rug flat.