How to make a bathroom rug with pom poms
Most of the times a project that pops in my head is driven by need and this time the thing I needed most was a new bathroom rug. I have seen the other tutorials out there about pom pom rugs and loved them! So, the bathroom pom pom rug was born and thought I would share the experience with you.
First of all my bathroom is a bit small and I wanted something that would fit the space by the shower. I have bought an ugly bathroom mat, the non-slip kind, that is just that. Non-slip. And ugly. Maybe not ugly but surely not interesting at all!
Found a small one that the dimensions fitted perfectly. I just had to cut about 2 inches of its length to fit in front of the shower and by the laundry basket. Although, I believe that these things come out in big rolls and you can cut the amount that suits you.
Then, I dug into my stash of cheap acrylic yarn, perfect for the situation. I decided on acrylic yarn because I can wash it easily and had a respectable amount I wanted to get rid of. And you are going to need a respectable amount of yarn!
For my rug, which is about 22 inches (56 cm) long and 15 inches (38 cm) wide, I made about 80(!) pom poms with worsted weight acrylic yarn.
Let’s jump into the process, shall we?
You are going to need:
- A non-slip bathroom rug, or a rug mat. Whatever you choose will work fine.
- Pom pom makers in two sizes. I used the 35 mm and 65 mm, but it really depends on the yarn you are going to choose.
- Really sharp scissors.
- A good amount of yarn. I must have used about 15 skeins of worsted weight acrylic yarn, and each one was about 145 yards (133m). This is just an estimation, so you will know what you are getting into.
- Crochet hook (optional).
How to make a pom pom rug:
If you have enough stash of another yarn weight that you want to get rid off, go ahead and use it. Bulky yarn would work great and it would take fewer pom poms to complete.
First of all, cut your rug mat into the dimensions, or even the shape you want.
Then start making pom poms! If you don’t have a pom pom maker it is totally fine! There are so many tutorials out there on how to make poms poms. You can make them by using a card board piece, a fork, your hands or even toilet paper rolls. You will surely find the method that suits you the most.
I chose to do 2 different sizes of pom poms because I wanted that bumpy look. They almost look like pebbles, together, don’t they? Also, by making a smaller pom pom, you get to fill all those little gaps upon constructing it.
Remember to leave the yarn tails on the pom pom. That is the way you are going to attach them on the rug.
After finishing with the pom poms, I trimmed them a bit to make them rounder. That is totally up to you. If you ‘d like your rug to have a wilder appearance, by all means, leave them be.
Assembly:
When you are finished with all the pom making, lay your mat down and start placing the poms around. I would suggest just placing them first on top of the mat, especially if you did a lot of colors like I did. This will give you a nice idea of the finished piece and you can move things around.
Pull the yarn through the holes on your mat. The one that I used had quite small holes so I used my crochet hook to pull the yarn, but it can be done without a hook if the holes are bigger.
Pull the other yarn end through the next hole and tie them together. Make at least 2 tight knots, so it won’t unravel.
The secret is to place them very close together so that your pom pom rug will be full and fluffy! Use those smaller ones to fill in the gaps. After you attach most of them you might need one or two more, depending on how close you put them.
The result is marvelous! All that yarny goodness under your feet feels fantastic! Don’t restrict just in your bathroom. This rug would look lovely in a nursery or your bedroom. Why not make a few? Pom poms are fun!
It looks awesome!
It looks great and it must feel soft and plushy too, but… if you step on it after showering – that’s what it is for, right? – wouldn’t it hold lots of moisture, starting to smell very quickly? I really don’t want to have to wash and or dry a mat daily.
I always dry myself well with my towel before I get out of the shower. But that is something I always did because I don’t like wet floors. If you are concerned that it might be wet all the time, you can make one and put it in your bedroom. Wouldn’t it be great to be the first thing you step on every morning? 😉
Great malloo , It’s looks nice & beautiful , And your idea of making rugs from pom poms is awesome. i will be make that type of rugs for my own bathroom & others too.
I have a rug that I’ve made, and the edge pompoms are curling under. I dont know if I’ve tied them too close to the edge of the backing or what, but if I take them off now, it will leave a gap where the backing is visible. Do you know of any fixes for this?
Hi Crystal! Maybe you have tied them to close to the edge or maybe they are too tight? You can move them a bit further on the inside and the backing won’t show because the pom poms take space. Try that and let me know…
Did you use any binding on the edges? I’m worried that part will fall apart in the wash. Wondering if binding would help the curling and prevent any unraveling.
No, no binding at all and it holds up fine!
How would you wash the rug once it’s finished when it gets dirty
I am always on the caution side, so I would hand wash it. I have mine for a year now and haven’t washed it, yet. Just give it a good dust once a week.
Where did you buy your nonslip mat?
I bought it in a local store, here, in Greece, but I bet any store that sells bath products will have them.
Hi, Lou, I am going to attempt making a pompom dog bed. I made a couple pompoms with a pompom maker I purchased. I noticed that the yarn threads are not very secure and can pull out easily. Is there something I can do to remedy this, or it is what it is and that’s normal?
I usually make lots and lots of knots when I tie the pom pom. I hope that helps.
please I will like to know how you covered the back. thanks
I didn’t put anything to cover the back!
I am making mat and ding in flower design. Pompom surrounds and another colour for middle then variagated colour for stems. And some grass and little pompom flowers at bottom. Also i see you can make chickens pigs and other yhings to put in it.
That must be very beautiful!