Oh the clever doormats out there! Love them all but I was sure I could make one vs. buy. Just paint and a stencil, right? A stenciled doormat was indeed not a complicated craft. But I do have a good trick.
Supplies
- Mat (mine is from Home Depot but if you have an IKEA close you’ll save some $$)
- Outdoor Paint
- Stencil (arrow stencil is no longer available but here’s another doormat stencil from the same company)
- Stencil Brush
- Push Pins
- UV-Resistant Spray
There are lots of tutorials out there for stenciled doormats. A quick search on Pinterest will give you all sorts of options. I chose to use alphabet stencils from Heidi Swapp, I had on hand, but vinyl, freezer paper, you name it, many things can be a stencil.
Step 1: Pin
Pin your stencil down, specifically at the corners and the middle of letters (obviously). The edges come out so clean. Amazing.
Step 2: Paint
Just like other stenciling projects, the least amount of paint on your brush and use straight up and down motion to apply the paint. I waited in-between the bigger letters as they were separate stencils but if you have one large stencil this project would be even faster.
Step 3: Protect Your Stenciled Doormat
I did do the extra step of painting a couple coats of a protector. Living in Arizona, I’m not sure much can protect the stenciled doormat from fading by the sun, but it is worth a try.
All in all, a fun quick project. Now I wish I was at a pool party, maybe sipping on a watermelon drink, eating a cookie with my decorated flip flops on!
