Nuffnang

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Recycled Craft - DIY Braided Rug from Old Fabric

Our family is pretty thrifty and we don't spend on new clothing unless ours are really worn out. Hence when Hubby handed me some of his old polo t-shirts that were torn and beyond salvage, I decided to google online to see how I can recycle them instead of cutting them into smaller pieces as rags or send them to the trash bin.

It turns out that many has transform these old fabrics into gorgeous braided rugs! Despite my limited sewing skill, the steps are fairly easy and simple for me to give it a try.

STEP 1 : Collect your old fabric (clothing, scraps etc)

STEP 2 : Cut the fabric into strips

STEP 3 : The fun starts here for me! Using 3 strips of cloth and braid them together. Gather and mix with different colour strip to make the braids colourful!

STEP 4 : Twirl the braided strand in circle and stitch them together.

This is the most time and effort consuming step as it took me weeks to stitch all in place. In the midst of sewing I pricked my fingers multiple times too. I guess it will be much easier if you have a sewing machine at home.

While I was painstakingly stitching away, Denver and Gladys were curious what I was doing. Some nice guesses include rope, coaster, toy etc. I thought coaster is a very good idea as I can make a smaller-sized version and am sure it looks pretty on the table.

Efforts finally paid off after completing my very first braided rug made from Hubby's old t-shirts. It adds a nostalgic feel in the house and I love to make more if time permits. If you have old fabrics, do not throw them away, you may just be able to turn them into a beautiful piece of art for your home.

16 comments:

about LeEcHoO said...

look good!!! i want to try also.

Phoebe said...

Many thanks for liking it :)

Mum's calling said...

Wonderful idea! Am trying to figure out your stitching, but that you mentioned weeks to complete, I'm already turning off the idea to try.

Phoebe said...

hahaha.. took me weeks cos I could not do it everyday and have to do it leisurely. :) i only stitching the sides of the braids together. :) Maybe a coaster will be faster.

--andy-- said...

Not bad looking, this is limited edition haha!
Reduce waste and teach kids about recycling :)

cheers, Andy
(SengkangBabies.com)

Cynthia said...

Wow! When I first saw this, I didn't know it was made of old clothes. The colours look so pleasant. You definitely am good with crafts Phoebe. :)

Pooja Kawatra said...

I am looking at this DIY craft from a long time and so want to do it. Your rug is looking awesome.

Shub said...

I remember my grandma used to do such beautiful things out of old fabric. The one that you have made looks so creative and professional.

Phoebe said...

Thanks Andy. This is probably one of my best recycled craft to date. :)

Phoebe said...

Thanks Cynthia for the compliment. Not very well made if you look closer but looks pretty from afar. Still a very useful rug so far. :)

Michelle said...

I really love this idea! It's like a pin from pinterest, but much more mom-friendly! Very innovative, plus, we can help mother nature by using old shirts into a more useful household things. Bravo!

Mich
TheChillMom.com

Ai Sakura said...

this is a beautiful craft!! well done and so nifty!

Ai @ Sakura Haruka

Phoebe said...

THank you for liking it :) I think it looks pretty too. ^_^

Phoebe said...

Thank you for the encouragement. The stitches were not very neat but it does looks good so far. ^_^ Would love to find out more what we could do with old fabric

Phoebe said...

Thank you. I hope to find more ideas to reuse the old fabric

Phoebe said...

Thanks Ai . :)

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