How to Make a Dining Room Floor Mat

Floor mats can be painted in any color or pattern. They are an inexpensive alternative to a rug or carpeting in a dining room with a challenging color scheme. You can use the exact same color for both the walls and floor cloth to create a perfectly coordinated color scheme. Canvas floor mats are especially easy to keep clean; crumbs can be vacuumed up easily and spills can be wiped up before they stain the mat. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Add 2 inches each to the desired widths and lengths of the mat and cut the canvas to this size. This allows for an inch on each edge for finishing.

2

Pour half of the container of the base paint into a roller pan.

3

Coat the roller with the paint in the roller pan and cover the canvas with a base coat of acrylic latex paint. Cover the entire canvas up to 1/2 inch from the edge. Allow the paint to dry for at least two hours.

4

Draw a design onto the canvas with the pencil.

5

Use a small, flat brush with a rounded end to fill in the design. Dip the end of the brush into the secondary paint container, being careful to wet only the tip of the brush, and daub the paint on between the pencil lines. Allow the paint to dry overnight.

6

Spray the canvas with a thin, even coat of matte varnish.

7

Lay the canvas out flat with the painted side down. Fold each edge in 1 inch.

8

Unfold the corners and cut 1 inch off each one at a 45-degree angle to miter the corners. Fold the corners down again.

9

Glue the folded edges down with craft glue. Weight the edges down with books until the glue dries. Allow 4 hours of drying time before using the mat.

10

Lay out a rug pad and lay the mat over it.