How To: Make a Chevron Rug

This summer I took on a project of making my own rug.  I'm trying to decorate the new Chicago pad, and doing so on a very tight budget.  Did you know that rugs are expensive? Well, I learned that lesson very quickly.  The solution? Make your own! 

I knew I wanted a chic, trendy styled rug- chevron was the perfect choice.  I chose a beautiful dark teal color that will look great regardless of the season.  Here's how it was done...

I started off by creating my template.  I measured my angle on a piece of cardboard, cut it out in the exact size of one of the zig-zag segments, with the sides measured to how deep I wanted my lines to be.  I took that model, made it into a model of a full-length chevron stripe.  I chose to use a flexible plastic tarp to easily maneuver along the length of the rug.

Taking that flexible model, I measured out equidistant chevron stripes along the length of the rug (a large piece of canvas that I bought by the yard at a fabric store), and taped them off to create clean lines once I painted.

I used an acrylic paint mixed with a paint modifier which rendered the paint into a flexible, foldable product that wouldn't crack if folded.  Following the tape outlines, I filled each chevron stripe with the colored paint.  

Lay flat and out of the way to dry for 24 hours.  I left it on the floor overnight, then transferred onto the bed to keep it out of the way.  Once completely dry, remove tape from canvas.

Et voila! A chevron rug!

I absolutely love how the rug turned out.  I think it will make a great piece for the living room of my new apartment.  It is neutral enough that plenty of other design pieces will be able to flow nicely, but enough of a statement to hold its own.  I can't wait to see how the living room comes together!

(obviously there will be photos of the space once it's finished... keep an eye out!)