Last Updated on October 12, 2012 by Kristi Linauer
I’ve deemed my floor cloth finished…for now. I ended up not putting a binding on the edges because I realized that any type of fabric on the edges (I was planning on using quilt binding) would make it difficult to sweep the floor cloth. Right now without the binding, I can sweep things right off of the floor cloth with ease. With the binding, I’m afraid that dirt and junk would get caught up underneath the fabric. Definitely not a good thing.
So here’s how it ended up looking…
I went with the majority on this one, and most of you said to keep it this size. I tend to agree. I think that proportion is important in decorating, but there are times when rules can be broken…like putting an extra large chandelier over a small breakfast table for dramatic impact, and putting a really big and colorful floor cloth in a tiny kitchen. I love it!
So now on to the question that many of you asked. “How did you do that?”
Here are the steps that I took to make my floor cloth.
First, I started with a remnant of vinyl flooring purchased from Home Depot.
The piece was way larger than I needed, so I used a utility knife and L-square to cut the vinyl to the correct size. I ended up with a 3’ X 6’ piece.
I placed the vinyl on a drop cloth with the decorative side down, and the back side of the vinyl facing up. I then rolled on one coat of latex Kilz primer.
Just a note about priming vinyl…
I found this to be VERY frustrating. This primer never dried to a completely dry finish. I waited several days between priming and painting (not for any reason other than I was working on this when I had time between other projects), and even several days later, the primer still had a tacky feeling to it. Dirt, dust, animal fur…everything would get stuck to it. As I was trying to mark my lines for the stripes, my hands would stick to it, and the oils from my hands would leave marks on it. It was incredibly frustrating, but once the paint was on and dry, that tackiness went away. So if you experience the same thing, just know that it’ll all work out in the end. Mine did!
Once the primer was dry, I used my L-square and a pencil to mark off lines at random intervals for the stripes. I knew I wanted to start with the green-blue color, and I wanted about six stripes in that color. So using absolutely no rhyme or reason, I marked off six stripes of varying widths.
Using those lines, I applied painters tape to mark off the stripes. (See those dark blemishes? That’s where I put my knee or hand on the primer and it left those marks. Really irritating!!) The arrows point to the six stripes marked off with painters tape.
Then I painted those stripes, removed the painters tape, and let the paint dry. Once it was dry, I was ready to move on to the next color. I did each color the same way…marking completely random stripes of varying widths.
When I had all of my big stripes painted, it looked like this…
I went back and did several very thin stripes over the big stripes. I also used a small artist brush to fix any areas where paint had bled under the painters tape.
When everything was dry, I moved on to the next step…whitewashing.
I decided that the colors looked a bit harsh, so I mixed some white paint with water (about a 1:2 ratio, which had a very watery consistency), and mixed it well…
I then used a paper towel to apply the paint mixture over the entire surface of the floor cloth using small circular motions.
You can see in the photo below, especially on the blue stripe, the difference that the whitewashing made.
Move your cursor back and forth over the photo below to see the difference that the whitewashing made.
When the whitewash was completely dry, I sealed the floor cloth using three coats of non-yellowing lacquer.
The lacquer was VERY shiny. In fact, it looked almost as shiny when it was dry as it did when it was wet.
This is the dry floor cloth with three coats of lacquer on it.
Since I didn’t exactly want a super shiny floor cloth, I followed up with two coats of clear matte spray finish.
And once it was dry, it was just as I had imagined it! Not too dull, and not too shiny.
And the finished floor cloth (I think). I’m not sure why, but I still feel like it needs some sort of border, and if it can’t be fabric (quilt binding), then perhaps paint. Hmmm…or maybe I should just leave it alone.
Who knows what I’ll end up doing, but for now I’m crossing this project off of my “to do” list!!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I hope you’ll join me on my DIY and decorating journey! If you want to follow my projects and progress, you can subscribe below and have each new post delivered to your email inbox. That way you’ll never miss a thing!
83 Comments
Rose Tree Originals
April 6, 2011 at 1:17 pmI love it, and the very same orange/blue scheme I'm doing in my son's room!
Laurie
April 6, 2011 at 2:09 pmThat is great- I have been frustrated with my kitchen floor- I need a large rug, but I can't imagine the daily cleaning I would need to do to keep it looking nice, much less finding something in the size I need, pattern I like and price I am willing to pay- I may need to consider this option.
Thanks for the tut.
Jayashree
April 6, 2011 at 2:39 pmLoved it ! I know that feeling ' something's off' . I too keep changing things until I feel its perfect.
Stephanie
April 6, 2011 at 2:57 pmI am so glad you decided to keep the size! Especially now that I have seen all the hard work you put into it. Thanks so much for the tutorial. I just might make one of these one day.
Anonymous
April 6, 2011 at 3:07 pmI love it just the way it is! I wouldn't put a border of any kind on it, but definitely not fabric. Not only would it be harder to sweep, but it would get dirty and need much more care than the floorcloth itself. I think it is finished!
PJ
April 6, 2011 at 3:38 pmOutstanding, I love the color scheme! You do fantastic work, I would swear that was store bought!
Wood Flooring
April 6, 2011 at 4:16 pmLovely floor mat, brilliant choice of colors. Thank you for sharing.
Shelley Jassmann
January 9, 2020 at 12:43 amI’m so inspired by your rug. Your instructions are perfect and understandable.
I’ve always wanted to create a painted rug!
Now that I know what design I want to use I can get started …right after christmas comes down😉
Cat
April 6, 2011 at 4:36 pmHave you thought about cutting the edges so that they're not straight? Like a decorative fancy kind of cut? It might give a bound look without the binding… But then again, I read your blog because I consider myself decoratively challenged 🙂 I'm a new homeowner so thanks for all the decorative and budget-friendly inspiration!
Kim
April 6, 2011 at 4:45 pmAnother option for binding is duct tape in a pretty color 🙂 Last time I was in the U.S. I picked up some lovely turquoise duct tape for craft projects. You can miter cut the corners, too.
Susanna
April 6, 2011 at 5:49 pmIt looks awesome! The colors are amazing.
Calm and Collected Organizing
April 6, 2011 at 7:10 pmI love your blog! Gorgeous photos and so many inspiring ideas!
Anne
April 7, 2011 at 1:37 amThat came out wonderful! Did all the lacquer make it stiff? How does it feel to walk on?
Beautiful work. 😀
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
April 7, 2011 at 2:11 amAnne, it's actually not stiff at all. And walking on it is just like walking on any vinyl floor. It's quite nice!
Kim
April 7, 2011 at 4:50 amI think it looks great as is. Great job!
Amanda
April 7, 2011 at 9:31 amYou've done an amazing job, it looks fantastic!
Hard work, but it's definitely paid off, I wouldn't add anything else to it, looks finished as is!
[email protected] Wonderfully Made
April 7, 2011 at 3:11 pmI can't tell you how inspiring and encouraging this is! We have a TINY kitchen with awful linoleum, horrid laminate cabinet and counter tops. I'm looking at painting the cabinets and counter tops and making a large floor cloth like this may allow me to not have to replace the floor just yet!
[email protected] Wonderfully Made
April 7, 2011 at 3:13 pmOh, a question: How will you clean this? Thanks!
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
April 7, 2011 at 3:20 pmLauren, I've found that just sweeping it every day keeps it pretty clean. But when it needs it, I'll probably just spot clean it with a mild spray cleaner or soap and water. Perhaps every few months, I can take it outside and give it a more thorough cleaning, if it needs it.
Sarah
April 7, 2011 at 5:55 pmI just stumbled across you blog and I LOVE your posts. I've already bookmarked it!
I'm going to be doing some of your projects soon. I'm super excited. Thank You for the inspiration!!!
Chris
April 7, 2011 at 7:27 pmI found your post on the HoH hook-up and just wanted to tell you I love your painted floor cloth. I think I may have to do that under my kitchen table. I've always wanted the look of a rug there, but could never justify the mess under the eating area!
Ethnic Girl Fun
April 8, 2011 at 6:13 pmThis turned out GREAT!
Jenn
April 9, 2011 at 3:59 pmFound you on FJ's SNS. I love this project! I just added it to my to do list! Thanks for the tutorial!
Ethnic Girl Fun
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmThis turned out GREAT!
Amanda
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmYou've done an amazing job, it looks fantastic!
Hard work, but it's definitely paid off, I wouldn't add anything else to it, looks finished as is!
Calm and Collected Organizing
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmI love your blog! Gorgeous photos and so many inspiring ideas!
Wood Flooring
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmLovely floor mat, brilliant choice of colors. Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmI love it just the way it is! I wouldn't put a border of any kind on it, but definitely not fabric. Not only would it be harder to sweep, but it would get dirty and need much more care than the floorcloth itself. I think it is finished!
Rose Tree Originals
April 10, 2011 at 8:55 pmI love it, and the very same orange/blue scheme I'm doing in my son's room!
Kimberly
April 14, 2011 at 2:55 pmI know this is a silly question, but how does it stay in one place? Doesn't it slide around and move? Absolutely LOVE the finished product!!!
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
April 14, 2011 at 3:03 pmKimberly, that's not a silly question at all!! Mine doesn't move or slide simply because I have such a tiny kitchen, and I have to walk around a corner to get into the kitchen, so I'm never walking in with lots of momentum. lol…Does that make sense?
But definitely, if I had a larger kitchen with a straight shot access, I would want to do something to make it less likely to slide. I thought through some different options. First, I think there are some temporary adhesive tapes that could be used on each corner. If that didn't work, you could also use a regular rug gripper pad thingy, cut it to fit the size of the floor cloth, and then permanently adhere it to the back. Anyway, that's definitely something to think about for larger kitchens!!
Shannon Purcell Brennan
April 14, 2011 at 4:01 pmVery cool! I definitely want to make one of these!
Jagirl44
April 15, 2011 at 2:03 amI swear, you come up with THEE best stuff! Not only that, but your tutorials ROCK! Thanks so much for sharing this. I'm sure I could use a painted rug somewhere in my house!
Double Glazing Warwick
April 26, 2011 at 8:42 amNice project! I never thought that I could do it on my own.
Mel
April 27, 2011 at 10:50 amWell done! Looks spectacular. I've done floor cloths in the past using the back side of lino.
I currently have some remnants left from a tiling job and am considering making another. Thanks for inspiring me.
Remodelaholic
May 14, 2011 at 4:55 pmI love this! I would love to have you come share this on a special guest post at Remodelaholic. Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the details!
Thanks,
Cassity
Jessica Frahm
May 17, 2011 at 3:17 amYour color choices flow so well! I used this as a feature on my DIY rug roundup post at http://sheekgeek.org/2011/jessicasheekgeek/diy-home-rug-roundup. I can't wait to make a rug like this myself ;0)!
Inspire Me Heather
May 26, 2011 at 12:05 pmVery nice and great tutorial too. I linked this to my rugs post as well – come on over and take a peek!
Erkarts
June 4, 2011 at 8:18 pmI really like it. The colors are very summery!
Kathypierson
June 19, 2011 at 4:07 pmI have been wanting to do this for a long time. I love it the way it is, I would leave it alone. I have to get to this project. I have just so many things that I want to do.
kamagra
June 22, 2011 at 6:31 amVery interesting topic and useful post. It really help me. Thanks.
Erin @ His & Hers
June 28, 2011 at 8:07 pmLove it, and the paint color you used on the cabinets! Thanks for the tip on the primer.
Devluka
July 5, 2011 at 9:27 amWell it a nice deign of laminate that you have created yourself
but some less creative guys like me surely need some professional help , I have
planned to change my carpet flooring to the wooden flooring and I have
been searching on internet and came across thisWoodsmith Hardwood Vancouver. which provide the wooden
flooring for homes in Vancouver what about
their pricing can how can get flooring done according to my budget
jacobhenery
August 5, 2011 at 4:48 amAccording to me Wooden flooring is the one of the thing which is given
importance during construction of new a house and it is a matter of concern
because it is one time investment which lasts really long and everyone want’s
good flooring done in reasonable prices but for that we need professional help
that can provide decent wooden flooring in our budget.
__________________
Woodsmith Hardwood
Fourwindsflowers
August 31, 2011 at 6:28 amBeautiful but with all of my chemical sensitivities I can't even get near all of those toxic coatings and sprays, so sad…I Luv IT! 🙂
Bonnie
September 8, 2011 at 5:08 amwow, whoda thunk it? Very clever & looks GREAT!
godd job!
Bonnie
aweemeenit.blogspot.com
Easygoingmom
September 30, 2011 at 3:46 amWhat kind of paint did you use? I am wanting to paint some vinyl boots with a small decoration. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks so much!
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
September 30, 2011 at 4:12 amI used latex paint for this, and then top coated it with clear non-yellowing polyurethane. I have no idea if that would work on boots, though. I would think that oil-based paint would stay on better–perhaps even paint pens (do they still make those?) or tubes of artist oil-based paint.
wacky saver
October 2, 2011 at 3:54 amIve been thinking about doing this for a while. I will probably use a spray poly for the finish. This is a great tutorial, I will link your tutorial on my blog.
DIY: Make An Easy Floor Cloth In 60 Minutes Or Less
August 15, 2012 at 9:01 am[…] you remember me telling you about the trouble I had with my last floor cloth that I made for my kitchen? I liked the way it turned out, but the vinyl flooring that I used had little divots all over it […]
Christina F.
August 24, 2012 at 7:49 amLove it!!
Julie
November 15, 2012 at 2:46 pmSo glad I saw this on Pinterest. This may be the perfect idea for some color on our screened porch floor. I was worried about a rug getting dirty. Thanks! Now I must go read more of your blogs…….
Fran Bowdridge
January 7, 2013 at 8:05 pmWhat a fantastic idea. Has the rug stood up to daily use? Thanks for sharing
Bathroom Makeover Day 17: Floral Hand Painted Floor Cloth
March 6, 2013 at 10:14 am[…] essentially used the same method that I used to make this floor cloth for my kitchen. But this time, I made sure to select a vinyl floor remnant that was perfectly smooth on back. […]
willow murawski
March 10, 2013 at 7:58 amdoes the ‘rug’ stay in place? does it lay flat? thx for tons of inspiration nice lady!
Kristi Linauer
March 10, 2013 at 8:30 amIt stays in place, and it does lie flat.
Jerry Hardy
March 20, 2013 at 5:13 pmKristi, what a clever idea! You describe the whole process in simple terms and the photos are super. It would be an interesting project for families encouraging them to work together and have fun. Keep up the good work.
20-Day Small Bathroom Makeover – Before and After
May 24, 2013 at 9:36 am[…] The shower curtain with the pleated ruffles was made from a queen size bed sheet, and accented with yellow striped fabric that was provided by Fabric Warehouse Direct. And since I would never have been able to find a patterned rug with the perfect colors in it, I opted to make another painted floor cloth, this time with flowers and leaves rather than my go-to stripes that I seem to use on everything. (You can find directions for making a painted floor cloth here.) […]
Krikit
June 28, 2013 at 6:21 pmI’m curious…what made you decide to use the Kilz latex primer, when you were going to seal the whole paint job anyway? It’s my understanding that Kilz is used to help prevent mildewing.
Annette
August 2, 2018 at 11:46 amKilz is a primer. Any surface needs to be primed before paint for maximum adhesion. Kilz, esp the oil-based variety, can help cover stains, like mildew.
Janis
November 14, 2013 at 2:05 amHi
I am wondering if you used the vinyl with has a paper type back or the one that is vinyl on the back. I painted a mat 10 years ago for in front of my sink and it has lasted with very little paint chipping off. I used the paper backed type. I am asking because I am wondering if the paper backed type lasts longer as mine as been great. But then I look at the vinyl backed and it is thicher so that is nice too.
Kristi Linauer
November 14, 2013 at 8:44 amI used they vinyl-backed flooring. I didn’t think that the paper-backed flooring would last that long. I’m amazed!
Curb Appeal on a Budget | The Budget Decorator
February 26, 2014 at 9:45 pm[…] 2 Decorating has a great tutorial on making a floor cloth from vinyl flooring remnants. Seal with an exterior grade sealant to create the perfect accent to […]
Janice Frisella
March 3, 2014 at 5:35 pmI have a question…..I am thinking about trying this as a rug under our dining table in the breakfast room. Will it hold up to “chair traffic”?
Melody
March 21, 2014 at 10:48 pmhow about a duct tape boarder?
Carolyn's funky furniture
May 17, 2014 at 1:10 pmThanks for the tutorial!
Marilyn
May 17, 2014 at 10:02 pmIf you use gesso instead of the primer I dries quickly and makes a great primer.
Lora
April 3, 2015 at 9:40 amI love this! I am looking for an alternative for a rug to go in my living room. I have 2 big dogs and their doggy odors (even though I keep them bathed) gets trapped in rugs. I’m new to diy. So, this might be a silly question. But, can remnant vinyl flooring be found in bigger pieces and do you think it would be a good alternative for a living room rug? Or, do you have any suggestions?
Kristi Linauer
April 4, 2015 at 7:34 amYou may not be able to find a remnant, but you can just purchase vinyl flooring to make a floor cloth big enough for a living room rug. It would still be cheaper than most rugs that large.
Katherine Bailey
February 21, 2016 at 11:10 amGenius! Bring on the vinyl revolution!!
Connie Whitfield
June 20, 2015 at 1:02 pmCould you just paint a border on?
Sheila
March 16, 2016 at 5:11 pmI have a roll of vinyl I want to paint, cut off what I needed but it won’t lay flat, l painted it,but it just won’t lay down help please !!!
Kristi
March 17, 2016 at 10:05 amDid you try rolling it the opposite way and leaving it for a day or so?
Valerie Boatwright
January 30, 2017 at 9:21 pmI LOVE this mat! I’d love to make one for my mud room, but it will take A LOT of dirt and traffic from two crazy dogs. Can it be mopped?
Allison
June 24, 2017 at 2:49 pmThis is so cool, you are amazing! I need to make a mat for an office chair on wood flooring and this is perfect! Thank you
suzie dyer
January 16, 2018 at 8:13 pmI’ve just started painting one and notice that the edges of the vinyl want to curl up. Did you have that happen to you? What did you do about it? Thanks.
Kristi
January 16, 2018 at 9:34 pmI’m guessing that the vinyl I used was thicker, because it didn’t curl at all.
Trina
March 11, 2018 at 12:30 pmLove the idea! How do you think this would hold up under a dining table with movement of chairs. Would totally like to try this if I thought it would hold up to the wear of chairs being moved often. Thank you!
Kristi
March 14, 2018 at 8:35 pmI’m not sure, but I’ve wanted to try it for quite some time now. I would topcoat it with something really durable, like General Finishes high performance topcoat.
Ronda F.
February 23, 2019 at 11:08 pmI made one many years ago for my dining room and it took the chair traffic very well for over 10 years! I had put 5 coats of polyurethane on it and put felt pads on the bottoms of the chair legs so that they would slide easily. It is GREAT for a dining room because food spills just wipe right off!
Pat-rice
July 21, 2018 at 11:48 amIs it slippery when wet?
Kristi
August 2, 2018 at 11:52 pmNo, it’s not.
Moni
March 15, 2022 at 4:33 amOh I love this! It is just beautiful!