Instructions

• Step 1: Prepare jeans Cut the legs off of your jeans and open up the seams on each side of the pant leg with a seam ripper. Measure and cut the fabric lengthwise into long, one-inch-wide strips with scissors or a strip cutter.
• TIP: If you don’t have enough denim on hand, shop for inexpensive jeans at your local thrift store.
• Step 2: Sew the strips Sew three strips together, end to end, using a sewing machine. If you sew by hand, use a simple whip stitch.
• Step 3: Braid strips Braid your strips of fabric together into long, tight plaits.
• Step 4: Coil the braids Decide on the shape of your rug -- oval or round -- and coil the braids accordingly. Stitch the ends of each plait together with heavy thread.
• Step 5: Tuck the end Tuck the end of your last plait between the folds of the coils and sew it into place. Find some bare floor and lay down a little piece of country in your own home.
• FACT: Levi Strauss, who invented denim in 1873, left $6 million to his family and various charities when he died in 1902.

You Will Need

• Several pairs of old blue jeans
• A seam ripper
• A measuring tape
• Scissors or a strip cutter
• A sewing machine
• A sewing needle and heavy thread
• Heavy cotton or nylon thread
• A thrift store (optional)