Faux Terra-Cotta Floor

heavy cardboard
1/2" foam-rubber padding
painter's tape
steel ruler and T-square
floor enamel paint (gray was used here)
white glue
satin wall paint in warm, earthy, terra-cotta colors (3 or 4 colors)
mat knife
paint palette or large piece of cardboard
rubber gloves
polyurethane finish

Steps:

1. Measure the floor and figure out the pattern and size of the tile you desire. Traditional terra-cotta tiles are a square foot, but they can also be smaller
2. Wash the floor to remove any dirt and grease. Let dry.
3. Use painter's tape to mask off the floorboards.
4. Paint the entire floor with gray enamel floor paint, or whatever color you wish to simulate the tile grout. Let dry overnight.
5. Make some guideline marks for the desired pattern.
6. Use a steel ruler and a T-square to draw a couple of 12" x 12" squares on heavy cardboard (you'll need 5 or 6, depending on the size of the room and how many "corner" pieces you'll need, etc.).
7. Cut the squares out with a sharp mat knife.
8. Cut foam-rubber padding to match and apply to the cardboard pieces with white glue.
9. Cut one "tile" stamping pad diagonally in half to create "corner" pieces, and cut out any other odd shapes you'll need (or save to use when one tile stamping pad wears out).
10. On a large piece of cardboard or any other kind of palette, pour small amounts of each terra-cotta color. Do not mix them together, simply swirl them around to cover an area a little larger than the tile size (wear gloves and swirl the paint with your fingers).
11. Gently dip the stamping pad into the paint, blot the excess onto a piece of newspaper, and start stamping the floor. Press firmly to get enough paint on the floor and lift off carefully so the edges don't run.
12. Wipe away any excess paint with a cotton swab.
13. Repeat and continue stamping tiles, leaving 1/2" space between the tiles for the "grout" to show. Be sure to add and swirl paint as necessary.
14. Cut other stamping pad shapes as necessary until the entire floor is stamped.
15. Allow the paint to dry overnight, and protect the floor by coating it with a good-quality polyurethane finish.

• If you don't like the colors, just re-stamp.
• It may be easiest to start painting in the corner of the room and work your way out, or start in the center of the room and work your way to the sides, using the corner pieces as necessary.
• You can pinch and remove some of the foam rubber on the pad to create "imperfections" in your tile stamps.
• Create several versions of stamps and alternate them as you go.