Braided Blue Jean Rug

We needed a new rug for the kitchen--the one we have I bought at Ikea over four years ago and it is sadly nearing the end of its life. I had read about rug braiding in my favorite book, The Tightwad Gazette, and wondered if you could braid blue jean material into a rug. Turns out you can, and there are a handful of lovely bloggers who posted their pictures and directions. I also read The Braided Rug Book and found a picture of a blue jean rug which was exactly what I wanted (Judith Feldsburg was the braider who designed the pattern I am basing this rug on).

I had no idea how time consuming and material consuming this project would be. I had a pile of old blue jeans that I was certain would be more than enough, but I think I was way off. I decided to press my blue jean strips with a steam iron so that they are easier to braid. It does make it easier, but adds a lot of work time. I had some difficulty learning to lace the strands as well. I read and re-read the directions, but some of the thread still shows. I think the technique is meant only for wool rugs and not stiff denim...The other thing I didn't plan on was that this project seems to drive my cat, Willow, into a frenzy. She likes sitting on the rug, attacking the blue jean strips, scratching the rug, and chewing on the lacing thread. Here she is merely checking it out.

Updates 5/18/08

This project is moving very slowly, but it is about the size of a bathmat now, so it is actually looking like a rug. I'm thinking of waiting until I have some time off of work to continue so that I can rip a bunch of strips all at once, rather than doing it a little bit at a time.