DIY: Rugs, Mats, and Towels

We have a 2nd bathroom in this apartment that we sadly had to live without at our last place. The only thing wrong with it is having to decorate a SECOND bathroom on a very limited budget. I've come across a few cute, cheap, and green ways to get a bath mat.

This first one is from Michelle Kaufmann. They have provided a wonderful tutorial but it can also be found on You Tube. It is recycled towels tied to some gridded matting. I love the thickness of it. Plus, I want some new colored towels and this is a great way to use up some of the ones I already have. If you don't have any towels to spare, hotels throw away old towels and rags if they have a stain on it that they can't get rid of. You could try getting the hotel to donate them to you or buy them for a fraction of the cost.

I found this on Martha Stewart for the craft of the day. Isn't cute! It looks like it would be pretty complicated but the instructions seem simple enough. I think it would be a cute little mat in front of the bathroom sink or something.

I just came across this adorable canvas rug made from a drop cloth.....yes...a DROP CLOTH.... from The Fine House. It looks so cute in the kitchen with the table and chairs over it. You could make it whatever color and style you wanted. This would have to be my next project if I didn't have a million already in line!

A little while ago I came across this Tic-Tac-Toe Beach Towel from Martha Stewart. Living in Idaho doesn't give me very many opportunities to get to the beach but it made me think of a tic-tac-toe picnic blanket! So simple and easy. You could go one step further and do a checkers blanket with bean bag pieces.

To finish off the towels....I have yet to make my little guy a hooded towel. I have all the supplies but sadly he has to use a plain old rectangle towel at bath times. Ahhh poor guy. I have come across some excellent tutorials for hooded bath towels. You can make the one from the picture above from the tutorial provided by Little Birdie Secrets. Also, Break It Down, Sewing and Design has made a cute lined hooded towel. One thing that is missing from both towels is ribbon. Adding some ribbon to the edges or to the non fuzzy part (whatever that is called) of the towel really spruces up the towel.