Bath Mat From Shopping Bags
We’ve seen mats made into totes but how about totes made into a non-slip bath mat? No sewing involved.
These plastic tarpaulin-style shopping bags were just too bright and fun for me to resist. I love graphic, bold patterns and have more than one place where I can use them to brighten up a space.
I cut away everything including the narrow sides (shown above) and zip, leaving only the broad sides and base in one long piece. All the sides already had hems which I left intact by cutting along their outsides.In some places the pieces wouldn't lie completely flat, so I cut through the stitching. This did the trick.
Putting the two side by side gave me a really nice sized mat. I overlapped them where they met and glued them together with contact adhesive.
At this stage the handles were still on so I unpicked these with a hem picker. Once the double stitches were cut through on the reverse side, it was very easy to loosen the lot on the right side.
I cut the backing to fit just inside the hems on the reverse side of the bags. I needed two and a half rolls of backing.
I spread contact adhesive on the reverse side of the bags and then pasted the non-slip fabric on top. It helps to have a second person hold onto the farthest corners whilst you position the backing.
Spreading the glue also takes some planning because one needs to get close to the edges of the backing but not overshoot. I tried putting the glue on the backing itsself but found that it squelched through the holes a lot more.
I worked section by section and weighted each section down with trays and bricks - make sure yours aren’t as dirty as mine. Once one section was dry, I moved on to the next section until all three were done.
Then I took off the weights and admired the completed product. I think it could possibly do with another layer of spray varnish but I was too excited to see it installed.
Actually, I have an even better place for it in my super dark guest loo. Believe me, it works superbly with the post box red doors and yellow walls. Even the most conservative people are blown away at the shock of colour.
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Juanita Green on Feb 22, 2020
I would very much like to try this. I think I would use “something” to trace the pattern to help with slipping.
I think it’s wonderful.
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Frequently asked questions
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Wouldn't they be slippery when wet ??
They are not absorbent are they?
Is the plastic slippery on stocking feet?