How to Make a Denim Rug

Recycle your old jeans by using basic quilting tools and sewing know-how to piece together this country-inspired throw rug.

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.