Don't Toss Old Towels, Reuse Them To DIY A Stylish Small Kitchen Rug

If you absolutely hate sending unused items to the landfill and are looking for a practical way to upcycle old towels, this DIY is perfect for you. With a few ripped, torn, or discolored towels that are sitting in the back of your linen storage, you can make a unique, little rug for your kitchen by cutting the towels into strips and tying them through the openings of a gridded mat. Dish rags, bath towels, and even beach towels can be repurposed for this hack. Though this project could be used to make larger rugs, it would require a ton of towels, so it's best to stick to small area carpets.

After you've got your towels, grab the backing for your DIY rug. This will act as the base of your project that you work from, and you could use an old anti-slip mat or purchase something similar. On Amazon, you can find a 2 by 4 foot non-slip rug underlay pad for less than $7, keeping this project rather budget-friendly. If you prefer a round rug, the DIY carpet embroidery base cloth for about $9 on Amazon is a great choice. To add a little more flair to your kitchen mat or if you don't like the color of your towels, consider dying them before you start crafting. While this DIY makes for a stylish kitchen rug, you could also upcycle your old towels into a cute bath mat with the same method.

Start by ensuring your towels are clean. Then, lay them out and use scissors to trim off any frayed edges. If you'd like to make your towels a uniform color, try dying them a darker color, such as a brown. Rit fabric dye can be found at Walmart for less than $4, but you could use any dye you like and follow the instructions. Once your towels are ready, cut them into strips that are about ¾ inch thick. You could choose to make the pieces slightly smaller or larger depending on your preference. When you've cut all your towels, trim the strips to be between 3 and 6 inches in length. Longer strips will make the carpet a bit more shaggy, while smaller ones may flop a bit less.

Get out your matting and begin tying a piece of towel into one side of each opening in the base. Simply loop the strip underneath the mat, pulling both ends up through, and knotting tightly on the top. Continue this, going down each row of the base and adding another strip of fabric. To make your rug look even fuller, you could tie a piece to multiple sides of each opening, though this would require more towels. By repurposing a few towels, you can add a rug to your kitchen for an elevated style for little cost and prevent all that fabric from ending up in the trash.