DIY Design Doormats

Create your own custom doormat featuring words or a design.

A plain, beat-up-looking doormat can spoil the look of a front porch, no matter how well decorated. Rather than spending money on a designer doormat for your finishing touch, make an inexpensive, plain doormat pop using your own stencil designs and assorted paints. Create your own doormats for your front and back porch; try making a few for friends if you find you have the time and the talent. You could end up taking custom doormat orders for your entire neighborhood.

Things You'll Need

• Plain fabric doormat
• Scrap paper and pencil
• Card stock
• Scissors
• Fabric marker
• Fabric paint
• Small paint brush
• Tape

Instructions

1. Use a plain fabric doormat, the type that resembles industrial carpeting, for your project. Look for plain doormats at any retail or home decor store, or online.

2. Practice sketching the design you want on scrap paper before beginning work on the actual doormat. Once you have designs you like, cut the designs out of the scrap paper to trace onto card stock with pencil. Thick card stock is easier to trace onto doormat surfaces as opposed to paper, which can bend and crease, leaving you with a potentially jagged design. Ideas for doormat designs include assorted flowers, stripes and other patterns, animals, words and phrases, and even small landscape designs.

3. Cut the designs out of the card stock with either scissors or a craft knife, and arrange them on your doormat as desired. Use a fabric marker to trace the card stock designs onto the doormat. Fill in the designs as desired with fabric paint using a small paint brush. Use tape to designate a border if desired, make your own pattern around the doormat edges, or leave as is. Allow to dry for at least a half hour before use.

Tips & Warnings

• Make wall art using doormats and some pieces of poplar board, which features intricate designs ideal for artistic projects.

• Use matte or spray paint for doormat projects using coir doormats.

References

• Apartment Therapy; Cute and Crafty DIY Doormat Inspiration; Adrienne Breaux; July 2010
• Apartment Therapy; Erin's DIY Doormat Wall Art; Jason Loper; July 2011
• Charles and Hudson: DIY A One-of-a-KInd Doormat