DIY Rag Rug- A 2 year project and what I learned

This rug has been years in the making; I first started it when I was pregnant with Becks and it was originally going to be three times this big... wellll that would have been QUITE the project and I eventually got bored and gave up. Oops! Luckily though, when I decided I wanted one of these in Baby Girl's nursery I was halfway there already!

First thing you need is a rug base, these come in a few different sizes, I got a 3'X4'- can you believe I originally thought I would make 3 of those? Ha! Crazy girl.

It is a mesh and I started going every other hole and neatly tying it with thin, perfectly cut pieces of material about 1/2"X4"... that quickly turned into me cutting much larger pieces of fabric(not worrying about being precise, it is supposed to look messy after all ), about 2"X6" and just looping it through randomly. When you use a thicker piece of fabric it sits in there tightly and there is no need to tie it in place. Plus it makes it easier to replace if something spills and a few strips of fabric need to be replace. Trust me, it is tough to untie or cut those tiny little knots.

I used a few different colors and types of fabric. Mainly I used fleece because it is super soft and thick- that really helped the project go faster. I shudder to think how long it would've taken me if I had used only the thin cotton I used to add color.

I think its important to make sure that you get really well around the edges and, periodically, lay the rug down and see if you are making one area thicker than the others. I had to take quite a few pieces out to be relocated during the process (again, a good thing I didn't keep tying the little buggers) when I realized that its was a little too fluffy here or there.

I am really pleased with the final product. Not only is the rug sort of messy-chic but it is so soft and comfortable and I envision Baby Girl sitting up or learning to crawl on that Three-Foot-By-Five-Foot-Piece of Heaven.

So here is a recap of what I learned...

1. You do not need to be particular about the exact measurements of fabric, as long as the cuts are clean it will look fabulous.
2. Do not tie the fabric onto the mat, it over complicates the process and takes about a bazillion times longer.
3. Use a thick fabric for your base fabric, you will need less of the other fabrics and it will be a ton thicker and more comfy once you're complete.
4. Evaluate your rug often, don't waste your time overfilling one area just to have to compensate later one.

I hope this post was helpful to you! Overall I think it was worth the effort, the cost was less than $40 ($15 for the mat and about $20-25 for the fabric), it for sure would have been had I not wasted so much time in the beginning worrying about things that I later realized were a mistake to begin with.

Good luck DIYing!
xoxo