Welcome mats can be used inside your home as well as outside. Create a warm welcome in a guestroom by using colors and patterns that coordinate with the room's decor. The doorway of a child's bedroom or a den is also an ideal place for a special floor mat. For indoor floors, use mats that are thinner than outdoor mats.
Stenciled Mat
Materials:
sisal, jute, or grass doormats
indoor/outdoor spray paint
masking tape
acetate stencils, patterns as desired
rope or other embellishments
hot glue gun
Steps:
- You can alter the size of your design to better fit your mat by reducing or enlarging it on a photocopier. Then create your own stencil by laying the design on a piece of cardboard, tracing it and carefully cutting the design out of the cardboard.
- Tape your stencil onto the mat (figure A) and protect any area that should not receive paint with paper.
- Apply several coats of spray paint onto the stencil, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before the stencil is removed (figure B).
Ideas for Designs
You can find your inspiration for a unique outdoor mat from the interior or exterior of your home. For instance, if your home is contemporary, try a combination of overlapping geometric shapes to create a complementary design. Sketch an idea on plain paper and color with markers before beginning the real project.
If you have a bungalow or cottage style home, you may want to use a traditional ivy motif. A great place to find ideas for your project is a craft store. They usually stock stencils and craft magazines loaded with the latest designs. Coloring books , wallpapers and printed fabrics are also good sources for designs and inspiration .
Decorative Options
- Color Blocks: Cover the borders of the doormat with masking tape and spray-paint the exposed sections. Several coats of paint will be required for adequate coverage on dry, tightly woven material. Allow each coat to dry for at least several minutes. The more spray paint used, the longer the design will endure the elements.
- Shading with Paint: Block off border areas with masking tape and spray several coats of dark-colored paint onto the entire section. After that has dried completely, mark off another border inside the existing one and spray several coats of a lighter color directly on top of the darker color within the border.
- Adding Accents: Heat the glue gun to its highest setting and apply an ample amount of hot glue to the doormat wherever an accessory will be added. Press each object onto the glue . Braids, ribbon or artificial flowers and leaves are just a few accents that can dress up your mat.
)
)
)
)
)