How to Make a Welcome Mat for Spring Using the Cricut

February's Pinterest Challenge is all about spring.  I had bought a plain doormat at Christmas time hoping to transform it into a personalized gift for some friends of ours but I ran out of time.  I decided this challenge was the perfect time to break that out and make a spring inspired welcome mat.



I found this adorable Lemon doormat for summer that just simply said Welcome with a few large lemons.  I like the look of that and knew I just wanted to swap out the lemons for some nice large flowers in shades of blue and green.

I first found a cluster of flowers I like and cut them out of some heavy duty cardstock using my Cricut.  I placed the flower clusters at each end (using both the image and the negative to get a better feel for how much space would be left in the middle-- by the time the rug is done I will have used them ALL) making sure I was going to like how they look.



Then I cut a second stenicl and taped the negative into place as best I could and used a stiff brush and some outdoor acrylic paint to paint in my flowers. I made sure to brush from the paper stencil onto my mat making sure my brush and paint did not go under the edge of the stencil.  I did have to use my hand to hold a few of the detail down and I got a little bit of paint on my hands but that's always to be expected since I can be a messy crafter.


As soon as I was done painting I peeled up the stencil and set the rug aside to dry.



The next morning I took the actual flower stencils I still had left and place it over my painted flowers; lining up the edges before taping them down and painting in the centers.  I was pleasantly surprised by how well the white paint showed up on the teal.



I ordered a larger 12 x 24 mat for the Cricut so I could print out the word welcome on two sheets of combined paper.

I taped the sheets together and to the rug as best I could before painting carefully.  I was so afraid paint was going to seep underneath since I didn't have a good seal.. but thankfully it didn't!




After setting it aside to dry I decided to try it in place with the floral wreath I had made last year.  I just love it!





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Comments

  1. The doormat looks great with your wreath and the mat looks so good. I've been wanting to make a welcome rug and yours is a great tutorial to follow.

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  2. I love this! It turned out so pretty. I would have been worried about paint bleed, too. It's good to see that it wasn't a problem.

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    Replies
    1. I have used stencils a lot so I did know a few basic techniques but was so relieved to not have ruined it.

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  3. That's pretty. So it's just outdoor acrylic paint? The colours are so vivid, I love it. And good to know it's not too hard to personalised a door mat like this.

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    Replies
    1. Yep! We bought a set of bright colors on Amazon last year and they are good for outdoor use.

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  4. Sweet! Love the colors! I have problems with messy paint hands as well, so I sympathize with your stencil challenges. I can think of a couple things I'd like to see on a door mat.

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  5. I love your new mat. I really want to make one.

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  6. Oh this is too cute!! I didn't know outdoor acrylic paint existed but that's good to know!

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    Replies
    1. Yep, they have lots of options for outdoor paint.

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  7. You are so creative and talented. I like the way the mat came out and it looks so nice on your front stoop. Thanks for the visit to my blog. Hope you have a nice week.

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  8. Great mat, I recently made one using my cricut but used vinyl. I put it on the mat and heated it up with a hairdryer so it sticks great. And sprayed it with leak seal. Works brilliant.

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    Replies
    1. I did see that as an option too but I am still more comfortable working with paper than with vinyl on my Cricut.

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  9. I love how your craft turned out! Very cute and pretty! Pinned!

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  10. Love how your mat turned out. By DIYing it, you did a great job of matching it to your door decor. Great idea and it's a new one to me. I have a new mat just like this one so guess what I am planning to do now!

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  11. This is a great idea. I had never thought of styling my own mat before. Love it :) Thanks for linking up to The Wednesday Blog Hop.

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  12. Such a lovely greeting for your guests! Matches you door perfectly!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope they all notice it anyway.

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  13. Looks nice, I like it! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 9 where I comment on and share on social media if share option is available, open February 1 to 26. My themed party 11 for Handcrafted Jewelry is open February 15 to 25 if you have any appropriate posts.

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  14. I have wanted to make a custom welcome mat for some time and just haven't gotten around to it. You make it look so easy. It turned out great.

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    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you. It actually wasn't as hard to do as I thought it was going to be.

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  15. Love that you made it to match your wreath. Great project to make use of a cut machine. Pinned.

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  16. Oh my goodness, this is so pretty! What a lovely project for your home, and such a beautiful way to welcome guests. Thank you for sharing the excellent step by step directions to help us make one of our own. I appreciate you being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Thank you!

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  17. I love your welcome mat! And I think I am very close to being able to get a Cricut, so I look forward to trying projects like this!

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  18. I love the colors you chose and the design! I bet you saved a ton of money compared to the lemon one as it had a high ticket price. I'm visiting from Home Matters.

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    Replies
    1. It was definitely cheaper since the only thing I really purchased was the mat!

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  19. This looks amazing! You've done a fab job. :)

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  20. You've inspired me to make a custom welcome mat! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ's.

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  21. Your mat is very cute. I like the flowers and that the color matches your door. #MMBC

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I love that they match so well too.

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  22. That really is lovely and I love how it matches your door. #mmbc

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  23. Great addition to your entry! Thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday and nice to "meet" you!

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  24. This rug turned out so well! Coconut fiber rugs are my favorite for my porch, and it's hard to find them decorated the way I want sometimes. Good idea to DIY it! I need a CriCut.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! Without a Cricut you can always look for a stencil you like.

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  25. Visiting again to say thanks so much for linking up with me at A Themed Linkup 45 for Spring Crafts and Décor. Shared again on social media.

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