Braided Door Mat
There's nothing like greeting your guests in style and with this Martha Stewart door mat, you are bound to make a lasting impression.
Before you start, practice the braid by making a miniature version of the mat with thinner rope. When you're ready to make the big mat, cover a large work surface with kraft paper.
Draw a cross on the paper; it should have a 33-inch vertical line and a 12 1/4-inch horizontal line. (This is the dimension of the mat when you get to step 4.) As you weave, use the cross as a guide and tape down loops to retain the mat's shape.
We used 1/2-inch-thick twisted nylon rope. About 165 feet makes a 33-by-20-inch mat.
Step 1 - Starting at one end of rope, form a loose knot as shown; leave a 30-inch tail on right side and slack on left side. Gently pull down on loops.
Step 2 - Flip loops to left as shown. Lift the first loop and cross it over the second.
Step 3 - Using tail end, weave as shown.
Step 4 - Using slack end, weave diagonally toward bottom right. Pull rope through. Continue weaving back to top as shown, adjusting rope to resemble diagram.
Step 5 - Follow path of first round with slack end, staying parallel to previous round. Pull rope through after each pass, weaving until mat is formed.
Step 6 - Finish ends by using a needle to sew through the rope just below any frayed ends and tightly wrap thread around rope a couple of times. Sew through several more times to secure. Cut off end of rope just above thread. Singe frayed ends with a lighter to seal; sew to underside. Apply permanent craft glue to underside between ropes in spots to prevent shifting.
Source: Martha Stewart: July 2005
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