DIY Front Door Mat

A couple of weeks ago, I was on Better Kansas City chatting about how easy it is to create your own front door mat. I see cute ones all the time, but at roughly $40 a pop, it's hard to justify buying a new one every time I see one I want. So, I decided to spend a little on a plain one and make one myself!

I got this plain mat at Joann's several months ago, but wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to design it. Did I want to make a free hand a design? Did I want to stencil a cute saying? I decided to browse Amazon for some fun ideas and stumbled on several different stencils for all seasons! I found the perfect Mid-Century Modern stencil that just happened to be created by a local designer!! Her name is Audrey of the Oh So Lovely blog! How awesome that my favorite new outdoor mat happens to have a Kansas City connection! I can't wait to meet her!

So here is what you'll need to create your own rug! A plain outdoor mat, your favorite stencil design (or a free hand design), outdoor or weather resistant stencil paint, and stencil brushes.

Tape your stencils in the pattern you like best. I originally used painters tape, but that didn't stick at all. For better adhesive, use packing tape!

To get started, put some paint on a paper plate, dab your stencil brush into the paint and remove a little of the excess by tapping a little of your brush onto the plate.

Begin stenciling in a corner and move around the stencil, making sure that you work in a direction where you won't get your hand in the area you've already painted.

As you can see, the mat is pretty porous, so you will need to go back over the stencil with a little more paint. Use a small painters brush and fill in until you've reached a desired deepness.

Here is the finished product! I added a buffalo plaid rug for a little deepth and texture to the front stoop. And, I think it really brings out the design of the rug!

What do you think? Are you ready to tackle your own front door mat? I've got a couple of other mats I made and will share them soon! If summer would ever get here, I have the most darling design that's fun and cheerful. And so welcoming....

XO!

Andrea