Throwback Thursday {DIY Valentine Doormat}

HI! Today's Throwback Thursday DIY is my simple "Arrow End Doormat" that I made for the DECK THE DOOR display at the Deseret News Home Show last October.

The DECK THE DOOR CHALLENGE was all about bringing personality to your front door while staying on budget (under $50). Each designer was assigned a month, I was given February.
AND GUESS WHAT? IT'S ALMOST FEBRUARY!!!
I loved this project. 
In fact, the doormat is in use in my house as we speak.
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I really wanted to make a door mat. So I did, for under $15.

Supplies

Coir Mat

Stiff Paint Brushes in various sizes

Black Exterior Paint

Sharpie Marker

Cardboard 

Spray Adhesive

I headed to IKEA and found a plain $9.99 coir mat and went to work!

Initially I thought I'd make a Heart Shaped Valentine's Mat but I really wanted to make something that would work for several months and not just be specifically for Valentines Day. Not to mention, I'm not necessarily cutesy...so something with a geometric design is more my style. I thought of this easy ARROW END design that could be used all year round. Actually, I think I'll be using mine from Thanksgiving through February! (Several elements in my design for the Show are adaptable to other times of the year...I use feathers, arrows and stripes throughout my display..I'll be sharing those DIYs over the weekend). 

Once I had my arrow design, I printed it out and used spray adhesive to easily glue the template to a white piece of cardboard. Then I cut out my arrow template. 

To use this template, right click, save this file and print.

Print arrow template, spray cardboard, press arrow template sheet onto cardboard, then cut out your arrow shape so you have a template to trace. 

I then traced the template onto the mat with a Sharpie marker. 

This can be as simple or as precise as you'd like. I kept mine on the simple side. If you wanted to you could measure and tape out a grid so that your arrows were perfectly aligned. I just sort of went at it with my template. I traced with the Sharpie, went over the Sharpie line with a thin, stiff brush and then filled in the center of the arrow with a thicker, stiff brush. (I tried using a sponge brush but it really didn't work well on the coir). The coir is imperfect and that is sort of the nature of working with this material...you may not have PERFECT straight lines...but that is the look of this rough material. 

As I continued to trace, paint and fill in my arrows, I realized that some of my arrows were better than others...I kept the better ones open and didn't fill them in...the ones that were a bit wonky I filled in.  I loved this more contemporary design approach.

After about an hour of painting I loved the result and knew it was just the right, fresh door mat for my February Home Show Door.

A few tips, it did take about an hour. Put on some good music and DON'T try to kneel on the mat. It is quite stiff and a bit painful to actually kneel on that sucker while you're painting. Your knees will thank me!

Be sure to come back over the weekend for more DIYs from my Valentine Home Show Display!!
XO!