DIY Outdoor Rug

Cut each bag into thirds from the bottom up. You will end up with two long pieces that were the handles and a shorter piece that was the middle of the bag. This is not an exact science, but try to keep the width of the strips fairly uniform.

Take three strips, lay the ends on top of each other and tape to a table. Braid the three loose ends of the strips together. Make a firm braid, not too loose that it falls apart and not too tight that it twists onto itself.

Add plastic strips by tucking the ends of the strip you want to add into the end of one of the strips you are braiding. Hold the pieces together until you've added the tucked pieces into the braid and they are secure. Don't tuck in a piece right at the end of a strip because it is likely to slip out. Tuck it in about 2 inches from the end of a strip. Do not tuck in all three strips at the same point or you'll end up with a big bulge in that area.

Keep braiding until you've created a long braid or run out of bags. Wrap a bit of tape around the end so it won't come undone.

Lift the end up that you taped to the table and wrap a bit of tape around that end to secure.

Coil the braid onto itself. Lay the braid flat, take the end and turn it into the braid. Then, just keep coiling the braid around the center point, making sure it is flat as you go around.

Lay a piece of duct tape over the braided coils to hold the rug braids together. In traditional braided rugs, the fabric would be stitched together on the sides of the braids. You aren't going to tape the entire rug at once, but in smaller sections so it's easier to handle and will stay together as you continue to wrap the braids around each other to make your rug.

Finish the rug by running a band of duct tape around the outside edge and folding to attach to the back of the rug. Flip the rug over so the duct tape is on the bottom. Now you have a durable, waterproof, recycled outdoor rug.