Do It Yourself Tuesdays: Tiger Felt Rug

So your dorm room currently sucks. As in, the paint is peeling off the walls, the bed springs squeak every time you turn (and that’s when you’re alone…), and the whole space smells like the house of that notorious old lady with a gazillion cats.

Ok, so we can’t fix those problems (try calling the R.A.), but we can make your room a little bit prettier and a lot bit more comfy! And all for next to nothing.

Your dorm room should be a much cooler home away from home; a safe sanctuary where you can study, play, and relax. A place where people can walk in, tell you how awesome it looks, then lounge on the floor eating cookie dough and talking about the other girls down the hall. And now you can have all that and more with our awesome find in Gonzalez and Smith’s book, Dorm Décor: The Zebra Felt Rug!

Materials:
Zebra rug template (download here)
2 yards (72″ wide) black felt
2 yards (72″ wide) orange felt
4 yards (72″ wide) cream felt
6′ x 2′ piece of 2″ grid pattern paper
Carbon paper and tracing wheel
Pencil
Scissors
Fabric Glue

Steps:

1. Using the zebra rug template, draw the zebra rug pattern onto the 2″ grid pattern paper. Draw a 2″ border around the edges and cut out the template around the outer edges.
2. Fold the black felt in half hot dog style, then lay the template over the carbon paper on top, placing the template’s straight edge even with the fold in the fabric. Following the instructions on the carbon paper (stripes and all!), trace the design onto the felt with the tracing wheel.
3. Remove the template and carbon paper. Pin the layers of felt together and cut out the design.
4. Repeat for the orange felt.
5. Lay the cream felt on the floor, then unfold the black felt piece and lay it flat on top of the cream felt. Pin in place.
6. Cut the cream layer the same size as the outer edge of the black felt. Glue the layers together with fabric glue.
7. Place the rug over the cream felt again and cut out another layer. Glue the layers together with fabric glue.
8. Flip the rug over and place the orange piece in place, matching the raw edges. Pin the layers in place and glue them together. (This allows you to have a black zebra rug on one side and an orange on the other! Your room will never be boring!)
9. Camp out on top of your new Tiger Felt Rug!