I first saw a woman do this by using her hands and rope to crochet. She was selling them for over a thousand dollars. Naturally my next thought was, "Challenge accepted."
You can buy chording at just about any fabric store. It costs about $50 a spool. And one spool will yield one rug. Which is a great deal. I also bought the largest crochet needle I could find (like size U).
It only took about 5 or 6 hours total to complete. I can't wait to have it in my dorm room! Annnddd I might start selling these! So look out Etsy!