Pretty and practical, these surface protectors were made by weaving together strips of dyed ticking fabric. We used a traditional technique that, if you keep going, will result in a braided throw rug.

You can make your own tints by playing around with standard store-bought liquid dye in a large basin. Our process lends itself to experimentation because results are immediate -- and you can adjust the colors as you go. 

You will need a large bowl or basin, 24 cups of very hot water, about 6 heaping tablespoons of salt, and, of course, ticking (prewash it in warm water with detergent to loosen the fibers and clean it; then dry thoroughly). Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin, and use metal or brand-new porcelain bowls because dye can stain plastic, fiberglass, or worn porcelain. (You can also dye in a washing machine, but don't use our recipes; instead, follow the instructions on the dye container.)

Soak ticking in a separate bath of hot water until ready to begin dyeing.

Prepare the dye bath: Fill the basin with very hot water. Add salt to cover the bottom of the bowl. Pour in dye. Stir well. Wring ticking, and slowly submerge in dye bath, making sure fabric is not bunched so it will dye evenly (if you want, use a test strip to see what the color looks like).

To create our colors, leave the fabric in the dye bath for about 30 minutes and move it around every 10 minutes. If you're experimenting with tints, check fabric frequently to inspect shade, starting after just 30 seconds. To make the trivets, we used different dyes on several pieces of pink ticking. Pictured at left: plain pink ticking; 1/4 teaspoon purple; 4 teaspoons yellow; 1 teaspoon royal blue and 3 teaspoons country blue

Rinse ticking in cold water until the water runs clear; this will remove excess dye and salt. Dry each piece of fabric separately in a dryer or on a clothesline.

When cleaning dyed fabric, machine-wash on the gentle cycle with detergent in cold water.

To braid a trivet: Cut ticking into nine 1-yard-long, 3-inch-wide strips. Stitch together the ends of three strips in the shape of a T (joining two to create one long strip; attaching the other perpendicular to the first two). Clip the stitched ends together with a clothespin, and tightly braid the strips into a rope, turning under the raw edges as you go. When you are finished, splice three new strips to the ends using a needle and thread; continue braiding. Repeat splicing and braiding with the last three strips of ticking

Shape the trivet by coiling the rope. Use a steam iron to flatten the coil. Beginning at the center, stitch the ropes together in a zigzag pattern; keep the stitches hidden by running the needle through the outside and inside plaits of the braid (without going through the fabric). Iron again with a steam iron. Sew on a 1/2-inch-wide finished loop of ticking for hanging, if desired.