Add some personality to your porch with a painted canvas floorcloth.
Hand-painted canvas floorcloths are mini works of art used to keep you and your family from tracking dirt into the house. You can adjust the size and style of the floorcloth to fit into any space. Once you've prepared the canvas you are ready to paint a design in your own distinctive decorating style. Paint the canvas in your choice of colors using water-based paints and seal it with multiple layers of clear polyurethane to keep the mat looking new for longer. The polyurethane will protect the paint from footsteps and from the weather if your porch happens to be an open design rather than a closed one.
Instructions
1. Measure the area where you want your floorcloth with a tape measure or yardstick.
2. Wash, dry and iron the canvas flat.
3. Measure and cut the canvas to the size you require, adding 2 inches to the total width and length for hemming. For example, if your finished floorcloth is going to be 24 inches by 36 inches cut the fabric so it is 26 by 38 inches.
4. Hem the edges with a sewing machine or hemming tape.
5. Paint the background color of your design over the entire canvas, using a paintbrush or roller. Let the paint dry completely.
6. Plan and draw your design on a piece of paper and transfer it to your canvas with a pencil. If you prefer to work in a freehand style, you do not need to preplan your design.
7. Paint your design with a brush, sponge or even your hands in the colors you have chosen. If you decide to fingerpaint on the floorcloth, use nontoxic paints. Let the paint dry.
8. Run a lint remover over the floor mat. This will remove any bits of dust or pet hair from the surface.
9. Seal the top of the finished floorcloth with four coats of water-based polyurethane. The first coat will be the most difficult to spread evenly because of the rough texture of the canvas. Once you have applied the polyurethane, work quickly to spread it. The polyurethane will appear cloudy when first applied, but it will become clear when it dries. Allow the polyurethane to dry between coats.
10. Flip the mat over and repeat the sealant application from step 7. By completing the four coats of polyurethane on one side before flipping the mat over, you don't have to clean your surface between each coat.
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