DIY Doormat Restoration

We're all familiar with Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, but I like focusing on some additional "R"s, in particular, Repair, Restore, Refresh, and Rejuvenate. By far the easiest way to save money and reduce waste is to extend the life of the things you have. And with these additional R's, making the most of your belongings doesn't mean you have to live with shabby items or never update a look.

This week, I took on refreshing the look of my doormat. What used to be a vibrant Mediterranean or terra cotta color palette, started to fade after a year:

and was shabby (not chic) after two.

I had seen some other folks update their doormats by painting them, so decided to give it a go. 

The first step was to dry it out (hello, Seattle winters!), and knock off any loose pine needles, dog hair, etc. 

Next, I prepared the surface by taking a good scrub brush to it, just for a minute. You could also use some sandpaper. The goal here was to remove as much dirt as possible as well as any loose paint from the prior design. I didn't take it fully down to the black surface, because I'm going to paint right over it.

Check out all that loose paint... It's more than I expected, so don't skip this step.

Next, I painted the raised surfaces of the doormat. I liked the original color scheme, so I tried to stay close with my colors, but you could use this opportunity to create a whole new look. Next time, I'm going for ocean colors! 

I used a semi-firm flat edged brush for creating clean lines. Now the material of these mats is fairly absorbant. It took more paint than I expected. Take your time, and push the paint into the surface with your brush. Don't try to achieve coverage with a thick coat, or you'll risk filling in the texture of the mat and creating a slippery surface. Instead, opt for a second coat.

After your paint is dry, you can add a thin coat of outdoor sealant. I used this spray urethane. The spray enables an easy thin application, but it also comes in a brush-on format. The purpose of this product is to add some water- and UV-proofing to extend the life of the paint. The important thing with sealants is to use a well-ventilated area, such as a garage with open doors and windows. You also want to make sure you are not using a gloss finish, and that you do a thin application, again so you don’t create a slippery surface.

Let me say it again: use a satin or matte, not gloss! 

Allow to dry for 24 hours, and you're good to put it back outside and enjoy your newly welcoming front door.

This project ended up being completely free. The paints I received from Buy Nothing, and the sealant was leftover from a previous project. If you aren't able to get free supplies, they still don't need to be top of the line - this was created with cheap craft acrylics, which average $1-2 per bottle retail. 

Overall savings: $20.