I don't like to throw away anything that still has some use left in it.

Old bed sheets eventually get holes in them, making them no longer useful as sheets.

They can't be sent to a second hand store for someone else to get some use out of and I really hate to see them go into the landfill.

So I save old sheets and turn them into new rugs that are not only practical, but are also a very nice addition to your home.

These rugs are machine washable and last for many, many years.

That's Charlie in the photo, who loves to sit in the kitchen in front of the sink where the blue and white rug is now located. His new favorite spot.

We love having it on the floor as it is thick and comfortable. It gives good padding under your feet and keeps them warm when the weather is cold

The how to details are for this new blue and white rug, which is 20" x 24" in size, perfect for in front of the kitchen sink.

The larger rug is 25" x "40 inches is made the same way, just using more chain stitches to start. I will explain more as I go along.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

20" x 24" rug

2 flat or fitted double bed sheets

10 mm crochet hook (US size N/15 - UK size 000)

Scissors

Ruler

Large darning needle

25" x 40" rug

To make the larger rug - you need to have at least 3 bed sheets

* If you don't have any old sheets at home to use, you can purchase them for a reasonable price at a second hand shop

Step 2: Prepare Your Fabric Strips for Crocheting

Using your scissors, trim the seams off the sheet

For a fitted sheet, you need to trim off all four corners and the top, bottom and side finished edges

For a flat sheet, you just need to trim off the top, bottom and sides of the sheet

You are going to be ripping the sheet into strip and you can start anywhere on the sheet you prefer, but I like to make the strips as long as possible so their are less joins in you bed sheet "Yarn"

Using your ruler, measure and cut 1/2" - 1" strips along the end of your sheet

Then, start to rip the sheets into 1" wide strips

Continue until you have a pile of strips ready for crocheting

* You will get lots of thread strings when you rip the sheet. Just pull these off and throw them away

* You can rip all of your sheet at once, or do it a section at a time as you begin to crochet your rug

Step 3: Join the Strips Together

You can just tie the strips together, but that leaves large knots in your "Yarn" so I have found a lump free way of joining the strips of fabric.

Start by folding about 1" of the end of your strip and cutting into it about 1/4" so that when opened, it has about a 1/2" slit near the end of the strip.

Do the same with the next strip of fabric.

Push the strip that you are adding, through the slit in the other strip

Then take the other end of the strip you are adding and pull it all the way through the slit to make a knot as shown in the photos