Easily Upcycle Old Towels Into A Stylish Bath Mat

Rolling out a colorful, textured bath mat is one of the easiest ways to decorate a small bathroom. However, bath mats can cost a pretty penny, especially if you're after a stylish design from brands like West Elm or Lulu and Georgia. The good news? You can make your own for next to nothing using just a few old towels — and you don't even need to know how to sew. Since towels are made to be absorbent, they'll make for a functional shower mat that helps keep water off your floors. Plus, it's a smart way to use old towels around the house instead of tossing them.

There are several ways to put this chic rug together, allowing you to customize the design and get the perfect style for your bathroom. You could braid the towels into a circle. Or, you could roll scraps and glue them together, just like DIYer Evrim Taşer Yılmaz. Otherwise, a basic, thinner mat should be quick to craft, though it may not look as stylish. Choose towels in colors that complement your bathroom, or dye the fabric if you absolutely hate the color of your old linens. Either way, this project combines sustainability, affordability, and originality in one fell swoop.

The mat Evrim Taşer Yılmaz made is a cozy bathroom rug idea that has a fun texture with alternating colors. Rather than weaving longer pieces of towel, roll a bunch of short, wide strips and secure the fabric with hot glue. Next, cut another section of towel into a small rectangle to use as the rug's base. Fold the edges over a little and glue them down to create a hem. Finally, hot glue each fabric roll onto the base, arranging them in columns until it's completely covered. The thick towel rolls make the mat highly absorbent and comfy, while the checkered pattern gives it a trendy look.

To create a braided bath mat, cut your towel into long strips using a rotary cutter or scissors. Connect several strips together to make longer ones. Then, lay three pieces on top of each other and sew or glue the top ends. Braid the three strands, overlapping the right side over the middle, followed by the left. Once you have a long, textured rope, coil it into a circle to form the mat. Finish off by sewing or gluing the sections of the rope together. For an easier project, simply lay a couple of towels on top of one another, and then all you have to do is sew a piece of ribbon around the edges to hold the layers together and form a hem.