Past Projects: Rope Rug

Ryan and I are both rock climbers (or at least we were pre-baby and hope to be again one day).  The ropes we use have a finite lifespan. Some people use their ropes until they snap and the climber falls to a tragic early death.  Others, like ourselves, know when to retire them (hint: it's before the tragic early death part).  And then what do you do with a retired rope?

Behold, the rope rug, made with Ryan's beloved 60m Sterling 10.2 and about $3 worth of caulk:

See that dirty spot? That's the halfway mark. So it's not really a dirty spot.
Quit judging my housekeeping skills.

This was a very simple project.

Step 1: Wash the rope.  We just soaked it in a bucket with detergent and hot water then rinsed it in the bath tub. You can skip this step if you don't mind a rope that's full of dirt and climber blood.

Step 2: Sewing.  In order to get the rug started, you have to sew the first few rounds together.  After that, it doesn't matter, you can lay the rug out and it will stay in place. It doesn't matter what color thread you use either, since when the rug is done you can just snip it off.

It's difficult to get a needle through the rope, and I actually had to use pliers to pull it through a couple of times.

Step 3: Lay the rug out on the floor, simply coiling it around itself in a circle (or you could do an oval, which is what I'm going to try with an old static rope that's been in our shed for awhile).  You really should put it on a dropcloth or tarp or something.  I didn't do that, which is why there's an arc of caulk still on the tile in the baby's playroom.  Learn from my mistake.

Step 4: Caulk it up.  We bought a bunch of caulk for $1 each at Habistore.  I don't think it really matters what kind you use or what color it is - it's just to hold the rug together and to keep it from sliding on the floor.  I just globbed a bunch on and spread it with a 6" taping knife.

Step 5: Let it dry.

That's it.  Pretty simple, and it makes a durable rug.