DIY Outdoor Rug

 Let me tell you how I turned this....

Into this....

For less than this:

The canvas drop cloth is found in the painting aisle of either Home Depot or Lowes, I think that one is from Home Depot.  

It was SO easy to do, and only took a few hours of one day.  I did most of the painting in my basement because it was holy HOT outside, but when I did the spraying I definitely took it out because I didn't personally want to get high, nor did I want to get my husband, 14 year old stepdaughter, or the cat high (although I think the cat is high all the time anyways, don't ask me how because I really don't know!)

First, you lay out your lovely canvas and try to stretch it out nicely.  I actually threw mine in the dryer for wrinkle release and then let it cool down for a bit.  It was definitely less old-manish after an hour of sitting here.  I was terrified to do this.  I was all, "Tina...you are painting...a DROP CLOTH...this isn't going to work and people are going to LAUGH at you..."  But I dove in anyways.

I then measured and marked every 6 inches just on one side so that I had a sorta-guide on where to put my stripes.  I did some trial and error before actually making the marks.  I am so terrible at math, so it took a few times to realize I just needed to measure the whole thing and divide it so all was even.  Such a math idiot!

Here are my marks, which ended up getting painted over so they don't show.  You really should use pencil, not pen.  I was too lazy to go upstairs and find a pencil.  Oh well...

I started laying down the painters tape, it was easy.  I eyeballed the lines and tried to make sure they were straight and I went over each piece of tape 2-3 times to make sure it was really sticked.  I was so scared the paint was going to bleed underneath.  I had no idea what was going to happen!

Here it is all taped up.  I just sat a stared at it for a while.  "Am I really going to do this?"  "Yes!"

I actually asked the Home Depot paint clerk for the OUTDOOR paint, and actually brought the can over to him with my swatch and asked him if that color could be done in the outdoor paint I wanted and he said yes.  But what did he give me when my paint was all mixed up?  Interior!!!  I didn't even realized it until I brought it home.  Sometimes I don't understand those paint mixers.  Dude, I BROUGHT you over the can I wanted it in...I couldn't have made it any easier!!  Anyways, I didn't feel like going back and complaining or spending more money on paint.  This little guy was around $8. I had all the other tools I needed at my house.

I stirred some up, poured it in, and got started.  I used the paint liberally, but you can still see the canvas peeking through a tad when you are up close.  It doesn't bother me, and you could totally do 2 coats but I liked the effect with 1 nice coat so I left it.

Before I moved on in this project, I let that first stripe dry and peeled back the tape to check for bleeding - YIPEE!!  No bleeding!!!

So I kept on a paintin'!

Just keep painting!!  Just keep painting!!

TA DA!!!  All done!!!  I was so happy with it, it went much better than I thought it would, and I couldn't wait to get it on the deck!

But first, I though, maybe I should seal it somehow?  I mean, it is going to be out on the deck, in all the elements with rain and wind and what not...so what should I do?  I finally talked myself into going back to Home D...

I found this.  It says on the back that I can use it on all materials.  I knew I needed water based.  So I went for it.  I was scared again...what if this finish ruined my lovely rug??

It didn't!  I spray 3 coats on the painted side and 3 coats on the back, and then did a test with water.  It beaded up very nicely and even though it absorbed it, it dried really fast and didn't mess up the paint or anything.  I'm not even sure I needed to do this, since canvas dries fast as it is...but oh well:)

I left it here for a day, just to "cure" up.

Voila!!  Here she is in all her glory.  It really adds a sweetness to our deck, and it's nice to feel this under our toes instead of our old wood.  I really love it.  I did this way back in June and it is still holding up great!!  I would really love to get one of those carpet pads to put under it, but they are so pricey and I love that this was a frugal little upgrade.

I will probably bring it inside after the winter comes around, I don't know how it will hold up in snow, IF we get snow at all this year.  I think it's a great thing to have on the deck in the warm months, but maybe a little too summer-y for winter.  

That was my adventure with DIYing an outdoor rug!!  It was great fun;)