How to Create an Area Rug

Cut fabric into strips about 1 to 3 inches wide, depending on how fine or wide you want your braids to appear. Remove any seams you find on your fabric if you’re using old clothes for this project.

Sort your strips into two groups. Hand sew the strips in each grouping together by their ends, creating two long continuous strips. Connect enough strips so that you have several feet of strips with which to work.

Fold your two long strips in half and then tie them together in a loose knot at the middle of the strips. Splay out your strips from the knot, alternating strips.

Hold the rightmost strip up and weave it under the next closest strip, over the next strip after that and, finally, under the last strip at the far left. Repeat this process with the new rightmost strip; remember to braid loosely so that some play is left in the braided strips.

Braid until your braid is the half the total desired length of the finished rug. Turn the rug by flatly curving the unbraided section of the rug to the right in a sort of candy-cane shape with the loose ends close to the braid touching the unbent braided area. Weave the leftmost strip into the closest braid loop.

Work your way down the length of braid, continuing to braid in the same fashion as before but always ending the braid by tucking the newly leftmost strip into the nearest braid loop. Circle around the braid, adding row upon row until your rug is as long and wide as you had planned.

Tuck any remaining small strips into the rug as seamlessly as possible.