Easy Rug Makeover

Last I showed you the progress on our porch makeover, we were having it sanded in preparation for some repair and new paint. That adds up to a complete makeover of the outdoor covered space, and it’s been much needed. With this project were some small side makeovers also including painted furniture, which I’ll show you soon, but first I did an easy rug makeover for the space. After all, what is a new floor without a new rug?

But before I show you the total after project I have to show you the simple trim I added to a rug with paint. It’s so easy and can be free if you already have some paint on hand.

I wanted to add a simple border to a rug I picked up at Home Depot {which cost me $20), because it was just a plain grey flat rug without even binding on the edges. You can look for these in the boxes where the rugs are standing up, you know where to look right? So I laid my rug out and marked a border all the way around with chalk. I marked every few inches, 6 inches in since that’s how wide I wanted the border to be. You could definitely make it other sizes depending on the look you wanted. The possibilities are endless.

Then I used painters tape and taped a line all the way around the rug. This then gave me an area to paint, that outside part 6 inches wide.

When I did this I made sure to tape on the outer sides of the line so any chalk mark would get covered up with any paint.

Then when I was done taping I had a line all the way around the rug like this. I imagine you can make all kinds of shapes with the tape and create a really neat design, but since both my rug and future floor were grey, I wanted the rug border to contrast with those greys, so I chose white to separate them visually.

Now you can definitely paint your rug wherever you have set it up, but I took mine into the basement. Since we just had the floor painted (which you can see some sneak peeks of} I didn’t want to risk getting paint on our new professionally done floor. Hubs would not be happy. And I actually don’t even have pictures of this part, but I can tell you what I did.

I simply took regular old latex wall paint and rolled it onto the border area of my rug. I put on 2 heavy coats because the fiber of the rug really soaks up the paint. One coat was not enough, so two it was. To make sure I didn’t get paint on the floor I was working on, I put newspapers down under the border so I was sure not to have any paint anyplace else than where I needed it. I think I let the rug dry for about a week just to make sure it was definitely dry, since I had never painted a rug before, I thought a week of drying time would do it.

Here is the rug after. An easy and simple change for no cost.

You can see if the above picture a makeover I did on our outdoor furniture, using oil paint. I’ll show that project soon too. This spool below is one I rescued off the curb, just next door of all places! Have you been brave enough to curb shop from your neighbors? Go read my story, it involves heels.

After some searching about what this thing was, my Google-savvy readers found that is was a wire spool from an electrical company. I think it’s a table. Spool, table, whichever! I gave it 3 coast of oil-based poly left over from refinishing our floors so it could hold up well outside and we use it for beverages and such. Although it’s kind of too small for the space, which is why I have “get a coffee table” on the porch makeover list. I’ll find a place for the spool, no worries.

Here is another shot of the furniture as a preview. I’ll show you that makeover next. Someone send me new chair cushions STAT. You can see some of the variations in the painted border. I think maybe a third coat would have given it a more solid looking finish, but I kind of liked it this way with a little texture and depth to it.

I don’t think this rug is a permanent solution, in fact I think with the grey house, floor and furniture, it’s a little too much. Finally I’ve hit my grey maximum! But it works for now and I’m sure I’ll update it again soon.

Here is where things stand with the porch makeover. Lots still to do, but progress for sure.

• Remove all the paint on the porch See more here
• Remove paint on the concrete stairs
• Repair broken wood, repaint the porch and touch up any trim
• Stain the flower boxes?
• Get a rug See more here
• Repaint the chairs
• Replace the cushions on the chairs
• Get a coffee table of some kind
• Add decorations like lanterns, pillows, plants and other accessories including outdoor lights

 Have you ever painted a rug?

Linking up with: Monday Funday at C.R.A.F.T.; Project Inspire{d} at Setting for Four