Give a Cheap Floor Mat a Designer Look With a Paint Pen

Kammy's Korner
by Kammy's Korner
$5
1-2 Hour
Easy
You know how stores will have some crazy-cheap item to get you in to their store? Well, last fall, I took Menard's bait and had to buy a rug they were advertising for $3 (I think, if my memory serves me correctly?) Yeah, it was super thin, and really.... not special. Plain black with some gray threading and just something to wipe your paws on. My word, I'd already spent a fortune on rugs in the house and couldn't handle a dime more. SO, this yawner has been sitting in front of my door greeting sweet visitors for months. I finally decided to shop for one. Nope, nothing. Nothing was thin enough for my door to glide over, cute enough, in my budget, etc. So I decided to do what I usually do. Upgrade what I have!
Rather than using a stencil and painting it the normal way, I decided to just outline it with a white paint pen. You shake a paint pen (marker) like a can of spray paint, until you hear the little ball rattling up and down and then you press the tip down until paint starts to flow. Then you just use it like you would a marker! For this, I had to go back and forth quite a bit so the paint really showed up, more like a crayon. Since the rug soaks up a little of the paint, the pattern does not scream at you, but is a little more on the subtle side. It is perfect though!
Now the grand entrance on my porch has a cute rug to greet visitors rather than the cheap, boring floor mat. Just what this house needs!
You can view all of this beautiful colonial home's new updated exterior here: http://www.kammyskorner.com/2015/09/exterior-updates-restoring-mansion.html
Kammy's Korner
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Janet Eastman Janet Eastman on Apr 24, 2017

    I'm looking on how to do a kitchen floor with paper bags

  • Debi Debi on Apr 18, 2019

    Where did you get the stencil?

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  • Suzanne ward Suzanne ward on Jan 20, 2017
    Can y [u wash with hose? I really like this, good job!
    • Kammy's Korner Kammy's Korner on Apr 20, 2019

      So this was a few years ago that I did this and after about a year and a half, it was pretty faded. Now I can barely tell I did it! So I think you could hose it off (I vacuumed mine) but it might make it fade quicker? Maybe not, I think it was everyone wiping their feet on it constantly.

  • B. Enne B. Enne on Feb 10, 2017
    WOW I have a similar mat...I may just have to try this, thanks.
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