I’ve found my new favorite go-to for a DIY wedding gift! I love discovering new ways to use my Cricut, so I was excited when I discovered how to make doormats.
It is easier than it looks. As long as you have the right supplies (and the patience), this is a fairly straightforward DIY. Read on to learn the steps, and scroll to the bottom of the post to see a video of the process in action.
Materials
- Door Mat (available from Amazon if you need the quick shipping, or even cheaper at Target!)
- Cricut or other cutting machine and weeding tool
- 12×24 Cutting Mat
- Roll of Vinyl (Use a clearance color! This will be your stencil and eventually get thrown away.)
- Acrylic Paint
- Bristle Paint Brush
- Spray acrylic coat
Be sure to read the tips and tricks below so things go as smooth as possible!
Tips & Tricks
- DO NOT use transfer tape!! Especially if you’re using the bristled doormat like the ones pictured in this post. There isn’t enough surface for the vinyl to stick to while peeling off the transfer tape. Just go slow and put the vinyl straight onto the doormat.
- “Which paint should I use?” I’ve been using standard acrylic paint and then using an acrylic spray overcoat to help seal it. I haven’t used my doormat outdoors (mostly for shoe storage and looks), so I can’t speak to how well it holds up in the elements. I’ve seen outdoor spray paint in stores, but haven’t tried to use this. I’d worry it would spray underneath the stencil.
- “This technique is ruining my brush.” Yes, it might. If you want to get the paint deep into the bristles of the doormat, you’ll need to dab hard and deep! The good news is, you can wash the brush and use it again. I’ve used the same brush for the 4 mats I’ve done.
- “The vinyl isn’t really sticking” True, it doesn’t stick great. I’ve considered making a stencil from card stock instead, but I don’t have any 24 inch paper. The vinyl does stick somewhat, which is helpful for the insides of letters, where paper would definitely come up with a brush.
- “The vinyl is sticking to itself” This happens to me, too. Try to go slow, and use your left hand/arm to hold down the finished side. You can also cut the design out piece by piece to work in smaller chunks. In the video below, you’ll see that’s what I did.
The Process
First, create your design in whatever software you work with (like the Design Space for Cricut). Resize the design to your liking. I generally want the design to fill the mat, so I make it as large as will fit on the cutting mat. Cut the stencil.
Now weed the insides of the design so you are left with a large stencil. The next step is where patience is key… Time to transfer the vinyl onto the mat. Start in one corner, and curl the backing away under the vinyl (see video). Go slow! It might stick to itself as you go, but if you go slow and fix the errors as you move along, you’ll get through it!
Once your stencil is set, paint the rug using a straight up and down stamping motion. Let it dry, and remove the stencil. Seal (outdoors!) with an acrylic spray coat. Easy as that!
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Thanks for the tutorial!
Great idea and how to – Thank you.