How to Make a Braided Rug From Old Jeans (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
If you have a pile of old jeans sitting in your closet that are too worn to donate and too sentimental to toss, this project is exactly what you have been waiting for. Making a braided rug from old denim is one of the most satisfying upcycling crafts you can take on. The result is a durable, beautiful, and completely unique rug that can last for years — sometimes decades — with minimal care. Denim is one of the toughest fabrics you can work with, which means your finished rug will hold up in high-traffic areas like entryways, kitchens, hallways, and mudrooms.
This tutorial walks you through the entire process from start to finish, including how to prepare your denim strips, how to braid them evenly, and how to coil and stitch everything into a rug you will actually be proud to display. No sewing machine is required for the basic version, though we will cover the sewing machine option too. Whether this is your first foray into rug-making or you are a seasoned crafter looking for a new challenge, the steps ahead will give you everything you need.
Why Denim Makes Such a Great Rug Material
Before diving into the how-to, it is worth pausing for a moment to appreciate why denim is so well-suited for this kind of project. Denim is a tightly woven, heavyweight cotton twill fabric. That density gives it excellent durability and resistance to wear, which is exactly what you want in a rug. It does not fray as aggressively as lighter fabrics, so the edges of your strips stay relatively tidy even without hemming.
Denim also comes in a natural range of shades — from pale stonewashed blue to deep indigo to black — that work harmoniously together even without any deliberate color planning. If you mix in jeans that have been bleached, distressed, or dyed, you can create a rug with real visual depth and texture. And because denim is so common, most people can gather enough raw material from their own household without spending a dime on supplies.
What You Will Need
Gathering your materials before you begin will save you a lot of frustration. Here is a full list of what you will need.
For the denim strips:
You will need approximately four to six pairs of adult jeans to make a medium-sized oval rug measuring roughly 24 by 36 inches. For a larger rug, plan on eight to ten pairs or more. Children’s jeans can supplement adult pairs, but they yield narrower strips, so keep that in mind. The more jeans you have on hand, the larger and thicker your rug can be.
Other materials and tools:
A sharp pair of fabric scissors is essential — dull scissors will tire your hands quickly. You will also need a seam ripper or utility knife to disassemble the jeans. A large-eye blunt needle (sometimes called a tapestry needle or rug needle) works well for hand stitching. If you plan to use a sewing machine, make sure you have a denim needle and heavy-duty thread in a color that blends with your fabric. A clothespeg, binder clip, or safety pin will help anchor your braid while you work. Finally, a flat surface like a table or the floor is helpful for laying out and coiling your braid as it grows.
Step 1: Prepare and Deconstruct Your Jeans
The first step is breaking down your jeans into usable flat fabric. Start by cutting off the waistband and setting it aside — it is too thick and stiff to braid comfortably. Next, use your scissors or seam ripper to open up all the seams: the inseam, the outseam, and the crotch seam. The goal is to end up with flat panels of fabric from each leg.
Once the seams are open, you will notice that the jeans are made up of several layers and curved panels. Do your best to press or flatten these out. At this stage, do not worry about being perfectly neat. You are just trying to get the fabric into a manageable flat form.
If your jeans have belt loops, rivets, or thick double-stitched seams, trim those away. Metal rivets in particular can damage your needle later on and create uncomfortable lumps in the finished rug.
Step 2: Cut Your Denim Into Strips
This is probably the most time-consuming part of the whole project, so put on a good podcast or your favorite playlist and settle in.
Cut your flattened denim panels into long strips approximately one and a half to two inches wide. The exact width is up to you — wider strips produce a chunkier, more rustic rug, while narrower strips create a finer, denser weave. For a first project, one and a half inches is a good middle ground that is easy to handle and braid.
Try to cut your strips as straight and as consistently as possible. A ruler and fabric chalk or a washable marker can help you draw cutting lines before you cut. If your fabric has significant curves from the leg shape, cut across the curve and trim to straighten as needed.
Each strip does not need to be an exact length. The braiding process accommodates strips of different lengths because you will join them as you go. However, working with strips that are at least 24 to 36 inches long makes the braiding process more manageable.
Step 3: Join Your Strips Into Long Lengths
To braid continuously without constantly stopping, you need to join your shorter strips into longer ones. The classic technique for this is a diagonal seam join, which distributes the bulk of the seam and prevents an obvious lump in your braid.
To make a diagonal join, place two strips at a right angle to each other, right sides facing, with the ends overlapping at their corners. Sew or hand-stitch diagonally across the overlapping square from one corner to the other. Trim the excess fabric to about a quarter inch from the seam, then press the seam open if possible. When you unfold the joined strips, you will have one long strip with a diagonal seam that sits flat and unobtrusive in the finished braid.
Prepare at least three long lengths of strips before you start braiding — one for each strand of your three-strand braid. Each length should be several yards long if possible, as you will be adding more strips to each strand as you go.
Step 4: Begin Braiding
This is where the project starts to feel real. Find the ends of your three lengths of denim strips and line them up together. Secure them at one end using a safety pin, binder clip, or by tying them together in a loose knot. Anchor this end to something fixed — the back of a chair, a drawer handle, or a doorknob works perfectly — so that you have tension to work against.
Now braid the three strands just as you would braid hair: right strand over center, then left strand over center, alternating sides and keeping the tension even. The key to a beautiful rug is consistent tension throughout the braid. Too loose and the rug will be floppy; too tight and it will pucker and curl rather than lying flat. Aim for a firm, even braid where each strand lays cleanly against the others.
As each strand grows shorter, add new strips using the diagonal join method described above. Try to stagger the join points so that no two strands are being joined at the same place at the same time. This keeps the braid uniform in thickness.
Continue braiding until you have a length of braid that you are ready to begin coiling into a rug. For an oval rug, your starting braid (the center length) should be roughly the difference between the desired length and width of your finished rug. For a 24 by 36-inch rug, that means starting with about 12 inches of straight braid before you begin coiling.
Step 5: Begin Coiling and Stitching
Lay your straight starting braid on a flat surface and begin curving it into a tight coil. For an oval rug, fold the starting braid back on itself so the two halves sit side by side — this U-shape becomes the center of your oval. For a round rug, coil your braid in a circle from the very beginning.
Now you need to stitch the coils together so they hold their shape. Thread your tapestry needle with a length of heavy-duty thread or thin twine in a color that blends with your denim. Working from the back of the rug (the side that will face the floor), pass your needle through the loops of braid on one row and then through the corresponding loops on the adjacent row, pulling the stitch snug to draw the coils together. This stitch is sometimes called a lacing stitch, and it should be nearly invisible from the front of the rug.
Work your way around the rug, stitching as you go and continuing to add new braid. Keep laying the rug flat as you work to check that it is lying flat against the surface. If the rug starts to cup (the edges curling upward), your braid tension is too tight. If the edges ruffle and wave outward, your coil is too loose and you need to draw the rows closer together.
If you are using a sewing machine, place the rug under the presser foot with the flat side up and stitch slowly along the edge where two rows meet, using a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch at the very edge of the braid. Work slowly and reposition the rug frequently. The machine method is faster, but the hand-stitching method gives you more control over the shape.
Step 6: Keep Going and Add Variety
As your rug grows in size, you will find a rhythm. Keep braiding, keep coiling, keep stitching. This is a great project to work on in stages over several evenings rather than trying to finish in one sitting.
This is also a good point to introduce variety if you want it. If you have denim in different shades — dark indigo, medium blue, faded light wash, black, or even colored denim — you can swap in new strips of a different shade at any point in the braiding process. Alternating dark and light strands in your braid creates a lovely striped effect. Grouping all the light denim in one section and all the dark denim in another creates a more geometric, color-blocked look. The design is entirely up to you, and one of the joys of this project is that there is no wrong answer.
You can also mix in other fabrics to add texture. Strips of old flannel shirts or cotton T-shirts can be integrated alongside the denim, though keep in mind that softer fabrics will compress more under foot traffic and may wear out faster than the denim portions. If you want a cohesive look, stick primarily to denim.
Step 7: Finish and Secure the Ends
When your rug has reached the size you want, it is time to finish it off cleanly. Cut the three braiding strands so they taper — meaning each strand gets progressively shorter rather than all three ending at the same point. This tapering allows the braid to end smoothly without a noticeable blunt stop.
Fold the tapered ends under and stitch them down securely to the back of the rug. Take your time with these last few stitches and use several passes of thread to make sure nothing can pull loose underfoot. If the raw ends of the denim strips are fraying, you can dab a small amount of fabric glue or Fray Check onto them before folding them under.
Once the ends are secured, give the rug a close inspection on both sides. Reinforce any stitching that looks loose or sparse, especially toward the center of the rug where the coils are smallest and the tension changes most frequently.
Step 8: Wash and Flatten Your Finished Rug
Before putting your rug to work, wash it once in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water and a small amount of mild detergent. This first wash helps soften the denim, sets the shape, and removes any lingering dust or odors from the fabric. Denim can bleed color the first time it is washed, so wash your new rug alone or with similar dark colors.
After washing, reshape the rug while it is still damp and lay it flat to dry. Drying it flat on a clean surface helps ensure it lies flat and does not dry in a warped position. Avoid putting a braided rug in a hot dryer as the heat can cause the denim to shrink unevenly.
Once dry, place the rug on the floor and walk on it a few times. If any areas feel uneven or lumpy, you can go back and adjust or add stitches. Within a few days of regular use, the rug will soften and settle beautifully.
Tips for Long-Lasting Results
A denim braided rug is already one of the most durable handmade rugs you can create, but a few habits will help it last even longer. Place a non-slip rug pad underneath, especially if the rug is on a hard floor like tile or hardwood — this prevents slipping and reduces wear on the back of the rug. Rotate the rug every few months so that high-traffic areas wear evenly rather than wearing through in one spot.
Spot-clean small messes with a damp cloth and mild soap. For a full wash, the machine is fine — just keep it on a gentle or delicate cycle and air dry whenever possible. Avoid bleach, as it will degrade the denim fibers over time.
If the stitching begins to come loose in one area after years of use, do not throw the rug away. Simply re-stitch the loose section and the rug will be good for many more years.
Creative Variations to Try
Once you have made one braided denim rug, you will likely want to make another. Here are a few variations that keep the craft interesting. Try a heart-shaped rug by coiling your braid in two separate circles and then joining them at the bottom with a point. Try using the selvage (finished edge) of denim strips facing outward in the braid for a slightly different texture. Try a very large rug for under a dining table using jeans collected from multiple households. Try cutting your strips on the bias for a softer, stretchier braid that produces a denser, flatter finished rug.
You can also scale the concept down to create small trivets and pot holders, or scale it up into a full bedroom rug. The same technique applies regardless of size — only the quantity of material and time required changes.
Final Thoughts
Making a braided rug from old jeans is the kind of project that rewards patience. It is not complicated, but it does take time, and that time is well spent. Every strip of denim you cut carries a little history — a favorite pair of jeans, a worn-out work pair, a child’s outgrown dungarees. Braided together and stitched into something new, all of that material finds a second life on your floor. The finished rug will be tougher than most things you can buy, completely original, and genuinely made by your own hands. That combination is rare, and it is worth every stitch.
