Halloween Door Mat

Turn a plain black rug into a spooky welcome with stencils and paint—no sewing required!

Easy budget

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Transform a cheap black rug into a custom Halloween door mat using large letter stencils and white craft paint. Simply tape the stencils in place, apply paint with a foam brush using a blotting motion, add a second coat, then remove stencils and let dry.

You'll need

Basic black rug (can be purchased for under $10 at your local Target or hardware store. I used this rug)

Large letter stencils (I used 7″ letter stencils from Office Max for $7)

Craft paint (I used Martha Stewart satin multi-surface paint in white)

Foam brush

Masking tape

Directions

Secure the stencils to the rug using masking tape to keep them from shifting. The ridges on the rug (if present) can help with aligning and centering the letters.

Squeeze a small amount of craft paint onto a paper plate. Dip a foam brush into the paint and dab it onto the rug with a vertical blotting motion. Use your free hand to press down on the stencil to prevent paint from bleeding underneath.

Because the rug fibers absorb paint, apply a second coat immediately after the first. Then carefully remove the stencils and allow the mat to dry completely.