$100 Half-Day Designs: Create a Stunning Entryway

Materials:

broom
1" painter's tape
concrete outdoor paint
rollers
sponges
bucket
water
deck chairs

Steps:

1. Clean the concrete porch. Sweep with a broom and if it's very dirty, consider renting a power washer from your local hardware store. Be sure to allow at least 24 hours for the surface to dry.

2. Lay the tape down in a grid that sections the surface off into squares. Run single strips of tape vertically and horizontally all the way across the porch to form the squares. Be sure to push it down firmly to limit leakage.

3. Roll out the base color using the roller. Don’t put too much paint on the roller so the paint doesn’t seep under the tape, but feel free to roll right over the tape strips. Allow to sit till almost but not totally dry.

4. Fill the bucket with water and moisten the sponge. Dip the sponge into the darker, accent paint color, getting a light even coat on it. Lightly dab in the squares to create a textured tile effect. Add as much texture and color as desired.

5. After the paint has dried (at least a few hours), peel off the tape lines to reveal the faux grout lines.