Who doesn't look forward to spring? The air is warm, the sun is shining and the flowers are starting to bloom–it's exactly what we all need after a long, cold winter. However, sometimes kneeling on the hard ground can put a damper on our bloom planting bliss. Say goodbye to mud stained knees and say hello to a bright, comfortable kneeling pad that you made yourself. Just grab some fabric, rice and a bit of elastic to get to that gardening in style.
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Things You'll Need
2 pieces of 12 x 18-inch heavy fabric
2 pieces 12 x 18-inch clear iron-on vinyl (optional)
2 12-inch long pieces of 1-inch wide elastic
Pins
Sharp scissors
Straight edge
Washable marker
Funnel
3 pounds of rice
Tip
If you'd like your kneeling mat to be water resistant, you can add clear iron-on vinyl to the fabric pieces ahead of time. To see how to do this, click here.
Step 1
Fold the elastic in half and place the raw edges 2 1/5-inches in from one of the short edges of the fabric. Place the other piece of fabric on top with the right sides together. Pin in place leaving one of the long sides open.
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Step 2
Sew a 1/2-inch seam around the 3 pinned edges. Be sure to remove the pins as you sew.
Step 3
Clip the two corners at a 45 degree angle. Be careful not to clip the stitching.
Step 4
Turn the fabric right side out and press the seams with a hot iron.
Step 5
To create the rice tubes, mark lines 1 1/2 inches apart. Sew a straight seam along each line. Stop sewing 3/4 inch from each end.
Step 6
Use a funnel to fill each tube with rice.
Tip
If you don't have a funnel, you can create your own funnel by cutting off the bottom of a clean, plastic soda or water bottle.
Step 7
After the tubes are filled with rice, tuck in the raw edges of fabric, pin and sew in place. Be sure to shake the rice down and out of the stitching line before you sew.
Happy gardening!
