How to Stencil a Rug

5 Materials
$30
1 Hour
Easy
When I wanted to add some color to my deck, I came up with a budget friendly way without spending a ton of money. Stenciling the rug that I already owned would give me some much needed pattern and color.
Best of all, my daughter helped me with the project, so I was able to spend some lovely time creating with her. icon
Start with a plain rug. Flat weave rugs work best when stenciling. This is an outdoor rug that is flat with a border around it.


*Place a drop cloth under your rug to protect your floor, just in case.
Figure out your pattern depending on your stencil. I chose a mandala stencil that looked best with a medallion in the center. So I placed my first stencil in the center. Measure it if you need to.
Load the roller with paint and remove most of it on a paper plate. Your roller needs to be almost dry to get a good stencil or it will bleed. This is the #1 mistake most stenciling rookies make. Use almost no paint at all to get the best look.


Roll paint over the stencil, being careful of the edge. Some areas will look light. That's okay. It gives it a worn vintage, look that's cool.


I used outdoor paint to help my outdoor rug last a little longer. Plus, I already had it on hand.


Remove the first stencil and set it aside.


Paint bled through to the back, so be careful where you sit it. For the cleanest stencil results, you will need to clean your stencil between each pass. Otherwise, the paint from the back will make marks on your rug.


Since I was working outside, I just used a paper towel and set it on the paper that it came shipped with.
Continue with your pattern.


A little tip: rugs are big and you're probably working in a small space. Stencil the part farthest from the door first so that you don't get trapped.
To make the design look like it continued, I did partial stencils on the edge. To protect the border and my floor, I used paper to mask off those areas and then stenciled like normal.
Let the paint dry and move it into place. It didn't take long to dry because it was super hot when I stenciled, but I still let it dry for a few hours.


I love how it turned out.
Suggested materials:
  • Mandala stencil   (Stencil Revolution)
  • Outdoor rug   (Walmart)
  • Outdoor Paint   (Craft store)
See all materials
Emy Flint | Semigloss Design
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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  1 question
  • Stacy Davis Stacy Davis on Sep 23, 2018

    I love this a lot! What was the size of your rug and what was the size of the stencil? I went to Stencil Revolution and was overwhelmed with the assortment of sizes to choose from. Great job! I love everything about this project.

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