I have always loved rag rugs.  (I love anything which gives me the opportunity to reuse worn out things around my house!)  Since sink mats have always looked like latch hook mats to me, I was inspired to make a rug out of them.  Use this method to make any size rug you need by simply adding more sink mats!

Project estimate:

• Sink mats, $1 each (I used two)
• Old sheet set or other fabric scraps, on hand

Total: $2 and up

First thing you will need to do is prepare all your fabric strips.  I cut my strips from an old queen sized sheet set.  Cut them 1 inch wide by 6 inches long.  I used my rotary cuter and board, but you can easily use scissors and a ruler.  It took one complete sheet and a small portion of another.

Before you begin tying you will need to trim the two sides of the mats which will be joined together.  This will help the holes to line up evenly so you can bind the two mats together.

Now you are ready to begin tying on your strips.  You simply need to tie strip to each section on the mat. I doubled up my fabric strips to make the material on the mat fuller, which gave it a softer feel.  You may choose to double knot if you would like to insure a better hold.  Continue tying on all the long sections until your rug is complete.

To attach the mats to each other, place them so that the edges overlap and tie fabric strips through both mats.  You can make your mat larger by placing more mats together.  If you find that your completed mat is slips on the floor you can add a nonslip mat to the bottom – the shelf liner from the dollar store works great for this!

This is what your completed bottom will look like.

Here is a quick close up of applying the material.

When I completed my rug I put it in the bathroom.  It adds some charm to the decor and also makes my feet happy!

The post Tutorial: Sink Mat Rag Rug appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Why spend over $20 for a custom door mat when you can create a one-of-a-kind mat with a quick trip to the dollar store?  Dollar Tree often stocks plain carpet mats that are perfect for giving a makeover, and with a little bit of stenciling you can make it have any image or wording you want!  (Not sure where to start on making a custom stencil?  Check out this post!)

Project estimate:

• Door mat, $1 and up
• Stencil, on hand
• Blue painters tape, on hand
• Spray paint, on hand
• Double sided tape runner or spray adhesive, on hand

Total: $1 and up

I cut my stencil out with my Cricut, but you can use anything to make you stencil.  Dollar Store sells letter which can be punched out and you can use the pages as your stencil if you would like. Using a tape runner apply stencil to door mat.  Cover the remaining area with blue painters tape. (Something I would have done differently would be to use spray adhesive to hold stencil down rather than the double sided tape runner.  It was a little difficult to keep the small pieces down.)

Using spray paint coat the stencil.  You will need to apply several coats. Once paint is dry remove tape and stencil.  I used a sharpie to outline my letters for a more finished look, but it is not necessary.

The post Tutorial: Custom Welcome Mat appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a weakness for cool throw rugs, but there is just one problem I have with them: the can be so dang expensive! When Allison from Dream a Little Bigger decided that she wanted new rugs, she found a way to DIY ’em and save a few bucks. This colorful rug is actually made from poly rope! You can buy an inexpensive bundle of rope, or look for a deal on jump ropes and use them for this project instead. And with rope available in so many different colors, this is a project that can fit into nearly any decor! [how to make a poly rope rug]

Project estimate:

• Poly rope, $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The post Make a Poly Rope Rug appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Would you wear a dress made out of…  throw rugs?  I would if it looked this good!  Geneva from A Pair & A Spare found some dollar store rugs made from recycled jersey cloth and, noting that they had a good deal of stretch to them, decided they would be the perfect material for a form-fitting dress.  The look is totally high-end, and especially impressive considering the source!  Seriously, would you ever guess?  [how to make a multicolor bodycon dress]

Project estimate:

• Rag rugs, $4 and up
• Zipper, on hand or $1 and up
• Sewing machine, on hand

Total:  $4 and up

The post Make a Multicolor Bodycon Dress appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Poufs have been appearing everywhere on design blogs, including some excellent DIY pouf projects. I wanted to try my hand at making a dollar store pouf, and I did it for less than $5! These nylon throw rugs appear at the Dollar Tree frequently, and they usually have some pretty fashionable color choices to choose from. I think this black and white stripe classes up the otherwise cheap ‘n cheesy nylon throw rug. But, if the dollar store throw rug is too, uh, cheapo for you, try a more expensive rag rug, or several lightweight placemats. Or, use this basic technique and a long piece of fabric. Check the end of the post for other DIY pouf projects in blogland.

Project Materials:

• 3 nylon throw rugs, $3
• Acrylic yarn, on hand or $1 and up
• Crochet hook, on hand
• Sewing machine & thread, on hand
• Something to stuff it with, on hand

Total: $3 and up

First of all, some nylon throw rug discussion. If you don’t like these cheap rugs, you can use slightly more expensive rag rugs (from Ikea or Target, about $3-5 each). When working with the rugs, avoid cutting them up at all costs, as they won’t hold together when the nylon strings that hold them together are cut up. Likewise, be gentle when working with the long edges of the rugs.

See Page 2 for Instructions & Resources –>

The post Make a Pouf from Throw Rugs appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

MaryContrary was inspired by another post on Dollar Store Crafts to de-skid a handmade crocheted rug with a shelf liner. Mary took the rug she crocheted (isn’t it cool?) and attached the non-stick shelf liner to the bottom. The shelf liner works well to keep the otherwise slippery rug from sliding all over the place!

It looks great! You can use that shelf liner stuff for all kinds of cool craft projects! I am crocheting some rag rugs right now, myself, so I will probably pick up another roll of shelf liner to attach to them to keep them from sliding around on my hardwood flooring.

Project Estimate:

• Shelf liner, $1
• Rug, on hand

Total cost: $1

The post De-Skid a Slippery Rug appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Now someone just needs to design a toy taxidermy project for us. Never mind, I think I just did it by typing that sentence. What would we need for that? A wooden plaque, some paint, a stuffed animal and some glue, that’s what. Sounds like a $2 project to me! Okay, a baby room with a toy-hunting theme? Morbid, but hilarious.

So, for the Toy Animal Skin Rug:

Project Estimate:

• Stuffed animal, $1
• Lining fabric, on hand
• Needle & thread, on hand

Total cost: $1

The post Make a Toy Animal Skin Rug appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Using a few bucks’ worth of materials from the dollar store, I made a spankin’ new non-skid bathmat in my favorite colors.

I
bought a 6′ roll of shelf liner to use as the non-skid surface on the
bottom of the mat. A large blue waffle-weave dishtowel was perfect for
the bathmat surface, and these cool felt cutouts were a good way to
dress up what otherwise would have been too plain. I also added an old
towel from my stuff to sandwich in between the other layers. It
provides some extra absorbency and nice cushion to the mat.

Project Cost:

• Shelf liner, $1
• Dishtowel, $1
• Appliques, $1
• Old towel, $1

Total cost: $3

To make:

First,
I sewed the snowflake cutouts onto the right side of the dishtowel. I
just sewed around them with my sewing machine. It might be a good idea
to tack the centers down as well.

After
the appliques were sewn, I laid the dishtowel out on my work surface
and then cut a piece of towel to fit inside it–about an inch shorter
around all sides. (After I took the picture, I decided to cut another
piece that didn’t have that puckery piece at the end of the towel, as
shown. It was a good choice!)

Then
I rolled out the shelf liner and measured it to the same size as the
green towel. It wasn’t wide enough, so I had to cut two pieces of the
shelf liner and sew it together. I just used a straight seam, figuring
it won’t really be seen. You could also sew it right sides together and
then put the seam-side facing in toward the towel.

Before I
started the project, I was concerned that the shelf liner stuff would
stick to my sewing machine plate as I tried to sew on it. It worked a
lot better than I was afraid it might, and went through without
sticking.

After the shelf liner was sewn, I trimmed it to fit and then put it on top of the dishtowel and the towel.

Then
I folded the dishtowel edges over and pinned them all the way around
the mat. I cut the corners of the towels out as shown because I wasn’t
sure my machine would sew through the thickness of the corners. If you
wanted to be a bit neater (and avoid a bit of a raw edge at the corner
after it’s sewn), you could cut across the corner diagonally and fold
the diagonal in and then fold over and sew.

After it was pinned,
I sewed all the way around the mat, and then turned it over and sewed
around the perimeter one more time to add topstitching. Then I sewed
across the mat just above the appliques, and then about 1/3 of the way
down from the top, just to keep the towel inside from shifting. If you
have one, you will want to use a walking foot for this step to keep the
top layer from shifting as you sew it.

You could also use the
same materials to make coordinating hand towels and curtains for your
bathroom! Or add some of the cutouts to a shower curtain or other
bathroom accessories. You could also use this mat in your kitchen or
entryway.

The post Make a Non-Skid Bathmat appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Hannah at Knick Knacks & Ric Rac reconned an old kitchen rug that was starting to fall apart by sewing it to a new shiny tea towel and edging it with jumbo rick rack. So cute!

Dollar stores usually have a good selection of fun tea towels. My current dollar store tea towels have pictures of fish on them, and kitchen spices (on the fish tea towels) with one spice that says “sill.” I think that’s Engrish for dill…

Keep your eyes out at thrift shops, garage sales, and estate sales for budget rick rack, although it won’t break the bank if you have to buy it new.

If you don’t have a decommissioned kitchen rug to use for the project, how about sewing two tea towels together for a reversible mat? Or you could use an old bath towel, or even a leg from some old jeans. Hefty fabric abounds if you’re creative.

Hannah said this took less than 30 minutes to complete. I think I’ll go make one right now!

Project Estimate:

Tea Towel: $1
Old rug, towel, etc: FREE (or $1 for another tea towel)
Rick Rack: $1

Total Cost: $2 or so

The post Make a Tea Towel Kitchen Rug – with Rick Rack! appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.