DIY An Outdoor Mat With The Help Of An Unexpected Garden Staple

If you have more old hoses than a clever storage hack for organizing garden hoses can handle, try repurposing one or more into an outdoor mat. That's right, you can transform a hose past its prime into an area rug for your deck, patio, or porch. You'll bring new life to your outdoor space while also saving items otherwise destined for the landfill. A simple method of coiling the hose and clipping it to itself will make a useful, bright addition to your backyard.

While this mat is functional, it's also attractive and can be designed to fit your decor. Just as with an interior rug, this DIY mat can help to pull your patio together. Making it will help unify an outdoor space, which is one way to create a low-maintenance oasis in your backyard. These mats are perfect support for long periods of standing while grilling, say, or kneeling to work in the garden. They are multifunctional, great for wiping muddy garden boots, or placing beneath plants as scuff protection.

Depending on the mat size you want, you can make one in less than an hour, and it doesn't take much in the way of materials. Of course, you'll need to gather up an old hose or two. Beyond that, you can get right to work with a pair of garden shears and a pack of zip ties. In a pinch, you can also use baling wire, duct tape, or outdoor adhesive to bind the hose.

To start making your mat from a garden hose, cut off the spigot end using the garden shears. For a round mat, fold over the cut end a few inches down. You wouldn't appreciate this kind of kink in the hose if you're trying to water plants, but here, it's just what you want. Wrap a zip tie around the folded portion, keeping the excess tie on what will eventually be the bottom of your mat. For an oval mat, make your first fold several inches or up to three feet. Slip a zip tie through the fold, roll the hose over once, and pull the tie tight. At this point, you may need a helper to hold the unwieldy hose in place. Repeat this procedure — zip tie in a fold, roll the hose, tie it — until you reach the size mat you want. Use the shears or a nipper to clip off the zip tie excess, flip over the mat, and you're ready to go.

If you don't have a used hose lying around and need to buy a new one, check out the best Costco garden hoses and accessories based on reviews. You're limited only by your imagination. Use a multi-colored hose or several hoses of different colors, connecting them with a short length of dowel stuffed in the ends. You can also make square mats if that's more your style, by connecting rows of hose segments to a frame with zip ties through holes drilled in the ends.