Colony Door Mats

The early door mats were made of a material called "corn sheathing"- the fine husks that enveloped Indian Corn.
The husks were first braided into a thick rope and sewn into a round or oval mat,
Before twine was plentiful for such sewing, the tough inner bark of the cedar tree was used, or a single blade of the husk threaded through the large eye of a wooden needle.