Outdoor rubber mat refresh
Would you like to spruce up your front porch and not break the bank? Here are some ideas related to what I did to refresh our welcome mat and front porch.
Have you ever noticed how many people go all out with gorgeous decor on their front porches? If you haven’t noticed, next time you go on a walk or on a drive have a look. I absolutely love it! The change of decor usually happens around the time a new season arrives. The front door to a home becomes so much more inviting and alive.
I initially got the idea to refresh our outdoor rubber mat from a video I saw on Facebook from Front Porch Mercantile. The idea really resonated with me so I dropped by their store the next day for the very first time (Do you have Madonna’s “like a virgin” ♪ stuck in your head after reading part of that sentence? lol) to grab the supplies I needed.
I could have used any other type of paint but I figured I would try the one suggested in the video I saw to test it out myself. Since I was really only refreshing my rubber mat with one main colour, the price of the paint didn’t matter all that much to me. I was mainly looking for something that would be weather resistant with all four of our amazing Canadian seasons. If you are thinking of doing a similar project, you could use another type of paint. I personally plan to try Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint on my next outdoor piece project.
Material
I didn’t need all that many materials for this project which was nice. All I needed was:
- soapy water and a brush
- paint (Fusion Casement & Fusion Coal Black)
- paint brush
- plastic bag or old blanket (if needed to lay underneath)
I started by cleaning my rubber mat. As I was cleaning it with warm soapy water and a brush I kept trying to remember what the rug looked like when I bought it initially, I couldn’t remember… Then I started asking myself where I had purchased it and couldn’t remember either… Dang! If I can’t remember then it must be old ahahah!
The goal when cleaning it is to remove as much of dirt as you can to give a chance to the paint to stick properly. Once that is completed, let it dry completely before applying any paint. Since most of these types of rugs are fully made of rubber, they absorb water very well and take longer to dry.
It’s painting time!
If your rug has intricate details on it, you may want to plan out which areas will get painted and in which colour. You can also do what I did and just go with the flow.
I knew I wanted the greeting to stand out so I began with that. Moreover, I applied a few coats of paint because I was going for the crisp look of a “new” mat. I not only used white paint. I also used a little bit of black where some of the original colour of the rug was still visible.
Once completed, I decided to take it a step further and add some white detailing around the greeting. Even with that, it felt like it was still missing something so I went ahead and painted the trim around the rug to bring it all together.
I did debate on painting the trim around each leaf/flower for a while… and I finally did! What I like about these kinds of projects is that if I change my mind and want to add more white detailing or even go all out and change the colours, I can! I love it when I don’t feel constricted and limited when doing a project. It appeases me to know that the project can evolve with any ideas I may have in the future.
Tada!
This was a quick and simple project yet it had a big impact. It would have cost me more to buy a new mat then it did to buy the paint.
Spring and Summer
When I did this project last spring I couldn’t wait to dress it up with flowers for the summer. I got these two gorgeous antique-looking containers at Dollorama. I drilled holes in the bottom so that I could plant outdoor flowers in them.
Fall
For this fall, I went and got Belgian Mums (amadora red in colour) at MacArthur’s Nurseries and added them on each side of our front door. I also grabbed a few pumpkins when we went apple picking and added them next to the flowers.
I can’t wait to plan and dress up the porch for winter and Christmas. I still have a long way to go for that so for now, I will enjoy this beautiful fall season we are having with all its glorious colours. Do you have any plans to decorate or refresh your front porch this season?
