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There's a word that gets used a lot in the world of mass-produced homewares: perfect. Every product the same, every stitch identical, every colour precisely matched to a Pantone reference. It's efficient. It's consistent. And it's also, in a quiet way, a little soulless.
The cotton crochet pieces we make at Made by Artisans are not perfect in that sense. Each mat is crocheted by hand. Each floor pebble is formed by someone's hands working through 100% cotton t-shirt yarn, row by row, until the shape emerges. The size may vary slightly. The colour may shift just a little between one piece and the next. That's not a flaw — it's what handmade actually looks like, and it's exactly what makes these pieces worth having in your home.
Made by Someone, Not Something
Behind every mat and floor pebble in this range is a small local producer — the kind of maker who loads up a bakkie on a Saturday morning and sets up a stall at a physical market, hoping the day's sales will cover the week's costs. It's an honest, precarious way to earn a living, and it depends entirely on people choosing to buy handmade over mass-produced.
When we stock her work at Made by Artisans, we're not just adding products to a catalogue. We're giving her work a permanent online home that earns even when the markets are rained out, when load shedding runs long, or when life simply gets in the way. Every purchase goes directly to supporting that livelihood — and the craft she's spent years developing.
The Cotton Crochet Round Mat
The Cotton Crochet Round Mat is the most versatile piece in the range. Crocheted from premium 100% cotton t-shirt yarn, it's highly absorbent, quick-drying, and machine washable — which means it works hard wherever you put it, not just as a decorative accent.
The round format makes it particularly easy to place: it sits naturally under a plant stand, beside a reading chair, at the foot of a bed, or as a layering piece over a larger rug in a living room. In brighter colours it becomes a feature; in neutrals it simply grounds a space without demanding attention.
Where people use them:
- Living room — layered over a larger rug, or as a standalone accent under a side table or plant.
- Bedroom — at the foot of the bed or beside a reading chair, adding texture to a wooden or tiled floor.
- Kids' rooms — bright colour options make these a natural fit for a play area or bedroom floor.
- Kitchen — in front of the sink or stove; the cotton construction handles splashes and washes well.
Sizes: 80cm, 1m, 1.2m, and 1.5m diameter.
Colours: Charcoal, Stone Beige, Dark Brown, Dusty Pink, Light Grey, Bottle Green, White, Navy, Black, and Red.
Shop Cotton Crochet Round Mats →
The Cotton Crochet Bathmat
The Cotton Crochet Bathmat is the purpose-built piece in the range — and it earns its place in the bathroom in a way that most mass-produced bathmats simply don't. The chunky crochet construction gives it real weight and density: it sits flat, stays put, and doesn't skid across a wet tiled floor the way a thin synthetic mat will. That combination of bulk and grip makes it genuinely non-slip underfoot — without needing a rubber backing.
The 100% cotton t-shirt yarn also happens to be one of the best materials you can use for moisture absorption. Cotton is naturally highly absorbent — it pulls moisture away from the surface quickly — and the open crochet weave means the mat releases that moisture and dries fast, rather than staying damp and becoming a breeding ground for mildew. Machine washable and cool tumble-dry safe, it maintains its shape and colour through repeated washing.
Available in three sizes to suit different bathrooms and use cases:
- Small (80 x 50cm) — in front of a basin or as a step-out mat in a compact bathroom.
- Medium (90 x 65cm) — the most popular size; works as a main bath or shower mat in most bathrooms.
- Large (105 x 65cm) — for a double shower, a freestanding bath, or anywhere you want more coverage underfoot.
The bathmats also work well beyond the bathroom — in front of a kitchen sink, at a back door as a utility mat, or in a laundry room. Anywhere that needs a surface that absorbs well, dries quickly, and doesn't slide around.
Colours: Dusty Pink, Navy, White, Light Grey, Charcoal, Olive Green, Black, Red, Bottle Green, and Stone Beige.
As with all handmade pieces, slight size and colour variations between batches are part of the character of the product. For a matched pair — basin mat and shower mat — order both at the same time to minimise any variation.
Shop Cotton Crochet Bathmats →
The Cotton Crochet Floor Pebble
Floor pebble, ottoman, pouffe — call it what you like. The Cotton Crochet Floor Pebble is the piece that tends to stop people in their tracks when they see it in a home for the first time. It has the visual weight of something substantial, but it's surprisingly light — around 2kg — because of the polystyrene inner we use instead of the traditional offcut fabric filling.
That polystyrene inner is one of the things that makes this floor pebble genuinely different from most on the market. Traditional poufs are filled with heavy fabric offcuts that absorb water, warp over time, and become a mission to move. Ours stays stiff, stays light, and — because the inner doesn't hold moisture — can actually be used outside. Leave it in the rain; it'll dry out in a few hours. It can even be tumble dried on a cool setting.
Where people use them:
- Living room — as a footrest beside a sofa, or as extra seating when guests arrive. The shape means it works from any angle.
- Study or home office — as a casual footstool under a desk or beside a reading chair.
- Kids' rooms — light enough for children to move around themselves, sturdy enough to sit on, and bright enough to become a feature of the room.
- Outdoors — on a covered stoep, around a fire pit, or on a patio. The polystyrene inner means rain isn't a disaster.
- Entrance — as a sculptural object that does double duty as occasional seating. A single floor pebble in a strong colour can anchor an entrance hall.
Standard size: Approx 500mm wide x 250mm high.
Colours: Navy, Yellow, Black, Light Grey, Charcoal, White, Dusty Pink, Red, Brown, Candy Pink, and Stone Beige.
Shop Cotton Crochet Floor Pebbles →
Go Big: The Oversized Floor Pebble
For those who want a statement, the Oversized Cotton Crochet Floor Pebble is the answer. At approximately 1m wide and 0.5m high, this is the modern beanbag that doesn't look like one — a proper lounging piece, a centrepiece for a kids' room, or the thing that makes a large living space feel considered rather than empty.
Available in Rainbow, Navy, Black, White, Brown, Charcoal, Light Grey, Red, and Yellow. The Rainbow version, in particular, has become the most-photographed piece in the range — the kind of thing that earns its own corner in a room.
Same polystyrene inner, same 100% cotton t-shirt yarn construction, same handmade character. Just considerably more of it.
Shop the Oversized Floor Pebble →
A Note on Colour and Imperfection
We use the highest quality 100% cotton t-shirt yarn across the entire range, chosen specifically for colour consistency and durability. But because each piece is made by hand, slight variations in size and shade are expected — and, we'd argue, part of the point. Two floor pebbles in the same colour will be very close, but they won't be identical. That's what distinguishes a handmade piece from something that came off a factory line.
If you're buying multiple pieces together — for a kids' room, a stoep, or to create a grouping in a living area — order them at the same time where possible. This minimises any batch variation between pieces.
The full range is available online. Whether you're after a bathmat, a round mat for the living room, or a cluster of floor pebbles, these are pieces that earn their place in a home — and support the hands that made them.
