Taking your scrapbook skills off the page and onto the floor!

Hi there---

There was a time this summer when I wasn't blogging at all.  There actually is a good reason why---I promise!  I was completing a BIG project.

 

I'm in charge of staining the deck every year, and this year, I decided I wanted to paint a faux rug on my deck.  Here's how it turned out. 

 

 

 

I originally got the idea from Pinterest.

And THIS, my friends, is where my scrapbooking skills----all that painting and inking and splattering on my scrapbook pages--- came in handy. 

 

Step #1:  Wash the deck and let it dry for a couple of days.  I just use a power washer, no chemicals.

Step #2.  Decide what pattern you want.  I bought a giant chevron stencil here. 

Step #3:  Tape off the area you want as a rug. 

Step #4, also known as what I learned:  I thought I could just lay the stencil down in the taped area and paint directly on it.  I was wrong!  This stencil is just too big and unwieldy.  Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's not that kind of stencil.  So I had to trace my design in the taped area with pencil.

Step #5:  I saved a ton of money by mixing together paints I had to achieve the color I wanted.  I didn't pay close attention to finishes or interior/exterior.

Step #6:  Paint!

Step #7:  I used a little bit of brown stain on a rag to "distress" or age it a bit.  It was just too white and perfect at first!

Step #8:  Put three coats of polyurethane over the "rug" area.  Then, when it is all dry (wait a couple of days), tape the rug area again within the boundaries of the rug, and stain the rest of your deck.

 

It was a big job.  I was really hot.  But I love the result.  And it was cheap---because I used paint I already had, I think it was about $40 for the stencil.  Not bad at all!  Next summer, I will let you know how it weathered!

 

Thanks for stopping by today :)