Project LuLu: DIY Van Rug

While I’ve been chipping away at the massive undertaking the floor has been, I’ve also been working on some more cozy indoor projects. One of those side projects was making this DIY van rug for LuLu.

The van life is all about outdoor living. Especially when you have such a tiny van, you want to make the most of the outdoor living space. One of those ways is to create coziness bringing indoor living items – rugs, chairs, tables – outdoors! Any time I get into LuLu from the sliding door I’m going to be tracking in dirt, dust, and the like. Having an entry rug not only makes it cozier to sit on the ground, but keeps LuLu (and me) cleaner.

This fabric comes from Spoonflower. I was so in love with it when I was shopping for fabric to make the curtains, that I had to come up with something to use it for. I could’ve just bought a rug but making it out of this fabric is just that much more special. It’s also recycled-plastic canvas, so it’s meant to be sturdy. Bonus points for the faux quilt pattern!

First thing I did was add the top stitching between the hexagons. This added the depth of a quilt but was not nearly as much work as a quilt. I thought about backing it, but decided to leave it as is.

Next up, I sewed the side seams the length of the rug with a wide stitch to keep in place. Then, I folded it over and added additional contrast stitching. This tucks the raw edges safely inside, so I won’t have to worry about fraying edges.

Finally, I added the trim to the width of the rug! This really put the final touches on the look and I couldn’t be more happy.

Here’s the list of supplies if you’d like to make something like this yourself:

Thread in your chosen color (I used heavy duty top stitching thread, 7 spools of 30m)

Fabric (this cut is approximately 6′ x 5′)

Sewing machine with heavy duty needle OR sewing needle if you want to sew by hand

2″-3″ trim

Marine waterproofing spray optional

Step 1: Always wash and iron your fabric before sewing.

Step 2: Make any decorative stitching on the surface of your fabric. Here, I stitched around each hexagon. You can do something similar or you don’t even need stitching at all!

Step 3: Hem any sides that will not have trim. Do this by folding the edge twice on itself so you can no longer see the raw edge. I used 1/4″ seam allowance, but for a rug you can make it wider for visual purposes. Make sure to iron/press your seams!

Step 4: Fold your edges that will have trim twice, then tack the trim on the appropriate side of the rug. Mine is decorative, so I placed it on top of the seam. Some trim may be better suited to sew to the bottom.

Step 5: Sew the edges with trim, making sure you get all the layers.

Step 6 (optional): Waterproof with manufacturer instructions. I used a marine waterproofing spray.

Step 7: Take your new rug and go hang out in nature! It makes a great picnic blanket, too!