DIY: How to Make a Custom Coir Doormat

I’ve been customizing doormats for our home for a couple of months now, and I just might be addicted to this craft. It’s so much fun to do! I recently created a “craft club” for my friends and I to get together as often as we can to work on craft projects. This week, we made custom doormats.

Creating a custom doormat for your home is more than just a decorative touch – it’s a personal statement that welcomes guests with warmth and personality. Whether you opt for a witty quote, a playful design, or your family’s name, customizing your doormat allows you to add a unique touch to your entryway. From showcasing your sense of humor to reflecting your personal style, the possibilities are endless. 

Here’s how to create your own coir doormat, along with lots of helpful tips. Have fun!

Click the links and images below for more details and for where to purchase these items. 

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What You Will Need:

• Coir Doormat
• Outdoor Acrylic Craft Paint
• Dome Shaped Stencil Brushes
• Stencils or Laser Printer Stencil Paper or Inkjet Stencil Paper (to make your own stencils)
• Xacto Knife or Craft Knife Pens (to make your own stencils)
• Cutting Board or Cutting Mat (to make your own stencils)
• Small Plastic Cup to hold paint or Paint Palette
• Paint Cup for water (to clean brush between colors)
• Paper Towel (to dry brush between colors)

What You Do:

1. Once you’ve determined the design you’re going to paint – put the paint colors into the wells of a paint palette and choose the brush that will work best for your design (see tips below) – then get started!
   Since the coir surface is very rough, it’s easier to “pounce” the brush onto the surface versus painting like you would on a smooth surface. I also suggest you add a lot of paint to the brush so the paint will penetrate the coir surface better.
   
2. Continue applying paint to finish your design, changing colors when needed.
   This outdoor craft paint dries fast, so you don’t have to worry about colors bleeding if you don’t want them to. Of course, you can add shading to the shapes you’ve painted to give them more depth.
   TIP: If you want a custom color, blend your paint colors on your paint palette before applying to your doormat. 
3. When your painting is done, let your doormat sit for about 10 minutes to ensure the paint is completely dry before using the doormat.
4. When the paint is completely dry, you can place your doormat on your entryway and begin using it!
   I change our front patio decor slightly from year-to-year. This year the accent pieces are going to be a “star gazing” theme. I created a star doormat for our entryway inspired by this theme.
   

Additional Ideas and Tips

Once you start making these doormats, you might become addicted to this craft (like me). Here are some additional ideas for making your custom doormats.

• Change the Shape – You don’t have to keep the standard rectangular shape for your doormat. Use chalk on the backside of the doormat to draw a desired shape, then (carefully) use a sharp knife to cut out the shape. A jigsaw will also work. You could change the shape into an arc, a flower, a star, a geometric shape, or even the shape of a rabbit – like I did.
  I saw a similar rabbit doormat online at a home decor store that is selling for $99. I used that doormat as my inspiration for the one I made (below) for $7.
  
• Domed Stencil Brushes – A dome-shaped stencil brush works much better on this coir surface than a typical flat stencil brush. When you “pounce” to stencil, the dome shape prevents the bristles from sneaking under the stencil.
  
• Paint Free-Hand or Use Stencils – When painting your doormats, you can either free-hand paint your designs, or you can use stencils – either stencils you purchase or stencils you make yourself. Experiment with different shape and size brushes to find a brush that works best for you. I prefer using the dome-shape brushes when free-hand painting on the coir surface – the dome-shape produces a better line on this surface.
• Best Price on Coir Doormats – I searched all over and found the best price on the coir doormats at Walmart (use this link – Coir Doormats). At under $7, these mats are affordable enough for you to buy a bunch of them and then create a different doormat for each season or holiday. Be creative!
  
• Look for Inspiration  – If you need inspiration on what to paint on your mat, just check out Pinterest for ideas. I’ve saved a bunch of ideas on one of our Craft Club Pinterest Boards (click link to access). You can also do a search on the internet for coir doormat ideas. Coloring books (adult or children’s books) are also full of fun ideas to paint. So many possibilities!
  
  
• More Inspiration for Custom Graphics, Fonts, and Stencils – If you decide to make yourself custom stencils, I highly recommend checking out Creative Fabrica. This website has millions (literally) of graphics, fonts, and more that you can use to create custom designs. You can use the images or fonts as-is, or you can use a program such as Canva to customize them further. Creative Fabrica is a membership site, but for $47 a year, you have access to everything on their website (including classes). Check it out!
  

One Step Further

• Make it a Craft Day – Invite your friends and turn this activity into a craft day. Serve a simple snack and beverage, and enjoy each other’s friendship as you paint doormats together. See photos below from our craft club date for inspiration.
• Give as a Gift – Custom doormats make great gifts! Surprise your friend by sneaking a doormat onto their front steps as a surprise for them to come home to.

I hope you found this article helpful. Have fun creating your doormats!

If you decide to make a custom doormat, please leave a comment and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear about it!

Here are some photos of our Craft Club custom doormat day – maybe they’ll inspire you.

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