Update: This rug didn’t hold up too well in the rain.  It’s beginning to fray and warp.  I think it will be going into the garage until I can work out the issues.   Best!

I had been looking for a rope rug for my patio. I imagined a modern, Kandinsky-looking rope rug rather than one that was woven. My first idea was to purchase several small rope rugs at Ikea and spray paint them with stencils, but that didn’t seem quite right. I finally decided to use some techniques I learned in Kindergarten. Remember, the yarn and the glue on the cardboard and you spelled out your name or made a picture of a tree or house or something. Well, that’s what I’ve done here just on a larger scale using rope that I spray-painted and dyed , on a linoleum backing and with construction adhesive.

Materials

Use materials suitable for outdoor projects.

Spray paint and/or dye (if desired) – 2-3 cans for a project this size

Scrap piece of linoleum – I used a 3 by 4.5 foot remnant that I trimmed after I glued my design down.

Rope – I used sisal rope in 2 different thicknesses. I used 5 rolls(100ft long) of 1/4″ thick and 1 roll of 1/2″ thick rope.

Construction adhesive- I used Liquid Nails about 4 tubes of the 10oz. caulk-gun type

Water sealer (optional)

Tools

Caulk gun

Plastic Spackle knife

Vinyl gloves

Utility knife

Planning your design – You may want to create some type of diagram or sketch ahead of time. I had an idea of the basic design I wanted and had my colors picked out, other than that I just decided to wing it. This takes longer than planning because I had to keep stopping to spray paint more rope and then allowing it dry. However, with some planning you should be able to estimate how much rope you will need to paint or dye.

Step 1 – Spray-paint or dye your rope. I just used a fabric dye. When spray-painting, be sure to spray all sides of the rope . I didn’t try to get complete coverage since I was going for a painterly look.

Step 2 - Lay out a scrap piece of linoleum larger than your design (you can trim it later). Draw out your design with pencil if desired. Work on the back of linoleum because the adhesive will waterproof the paper-backing.

Step 3 - Apply some construction adhesive and spread out with spackle knife working a small area (about 1 by 1 foot) at a time. Allow the glue to get tacky for a few minutes.

Step 4 – Get comfortable! Begin laying out your rope. I think it’s easier to begin with the actual design. You will need to hold down the rope until the glue grabs it. Sometimes the rope will pop up and you will need to weight it down with something or step on it.

To make large coils, I had to keep adding glue around the edges because the adhesive dries pretty quickly in hot weather.

Step on it!

Step 5 – Add a border. After you have created the design. Apply adhesive around the edges of the design area and rope it in! Work quickly because the glue dries fast. I tried to use one continuous piece for the border.

Step 6 – Fill in the empty spaces around your design and inside the border. Again, work small areas at a time.

Step 7 – Add embellishments. I decided to add glass rocks to centers of my coils where it was difficult to work the rope into.

Step 8 – Trim the excess linoleum. Using a utility knife. Trim the edges of your rug.

Step 9 - Apply a water-sealer if desired. I’m leaving mine au naturale for now, I’ll let you know if gets moldy or anything.

Here’s the finished product! Now I just need some patio furniture!

BTW – Just letting anyone know who might be wondering about the costs. The materials for this rug cost me about $55. I already had a linoleum scrap, a caulk gun and some fabric dye. But when you consider similar rugs that cost between $100 and $300, it doesn’t seem too bad. It also took me about 4 days to complete with drying times and trying to avoid working during the hottest part of the day.