A Fast Flooring Fix

I am less than loving (waaaaay less) the flooring in some of the area of our house.  Flooring usually isn't a super quick and cheap fix, but for me living with it, staring at it, not to mention being embarassed by it, isn't an option.  Unfortunately, replacing the flooring isn't either at this moment :( ..hate when that happens!  So.. since I have a tendency to get fixated on a 'plan B' that I can get excited about and solve the design delimma for now, I went to work researching for days on DIY rugs and flooring fixes.  If I were able to convince my husband of letting me (or him actually), rip out all the current flooring and do concrete throughout the main level, which I would paint a fun pattern on in some rooms and just solid paint a neutral color in other rooms, that would have been my first choice. ....No go there though..he didn't have the vision nor was it a task he was wanting to take on anytime within ..uh..century! :(  Here was my inspiration ideas of the concrete flooring:

With that not an option..I had to back-burner it for a while, but I couldn't get the floor painting idea out of my head.  It was something I really felt excited about and of course it would allow me the creative freedom to do the pattern of my choosing.  From there, I found myself roaming aimlessly through WalMart (kid-less of course)..I know I live such a GLAMOROUS life as a designer! Ha!  Don't be jealous ladies ;)!  I was gazing into the tossled abyss of clearance fabric when this bolt of thick/heavy woven upholstery (maybe?) stuff popped out (inbetween the purple leopard spandex and gold lamae...so it really stood out like a sore thumb)!  It was a perfect shade of dark red, seemed indesturctable, and best of all it was only $2/yard!  Given that there was just barely over a yard left on the bolt, it was perfect in pratically every way for a floorcloth style area rug.  This would be the perfect solution for the wide open area in my kitchen that needed a flooring fix to cause a distraction of the more permanent floor situation there now...ugh.  Also, knew I would be able to paint the pattern on it I had decided I wanted to do.  I came home with my $2 in fabric and got started on the rug right away..because all I needed was another project in process...the rug would be project #5 in the works!  But I was excited about it and couldn't wait to get it on the floor in the kitchen.  It would hopefully disguize what will lye beneath it...  Luckily, I already had everything on hand I needed for this project, so I would spare myself at least 10 trips back to Home Depot (or "Home Dingbo" as my 5yr old calls it) for the items I would inevitably keep forgeting...

So this is how I made my rug:

1. The size of sale fabric I purchased was the exact size I needed for the area - meant to be? I think so! So, Yay! No measuring or trimming :)

2. I spread the fabric out, grabbed some painters tape, and taped out the pattern I wanted to create.  This was a bit time consuming because of the pattern style and rug size.  But it's totally fine since I had a quiet night, my fave shows on Bravo, and a glass (or 2..uhh..3 of wine) :)

3. Once the pattern was all taped out, I went back over each piece of tape, pressing it down really well to give it the added reinforcement it needed to (hopefully) prevent leaks underneath.

4. I covered an area of the kitchen floor with some plastic table cloths, put the fabric/rug on top of them, then rolled on the first coat of paint.  As you can see, it dosn't provide very much coverage, which in part was due to the roller I think. 

5. I didn't wait for the first coat to dry before I started the second coat.  This time I swtiched to a cheapie chip paint brush to really get the paint on the fabric well..using an (aggresive) dab and smear(?) technique (if you can even call that a technique!  I was surprised that the fabric didn't absorb a lot of the first coat of paint right away, given the type of fab and weave it is.  So that's good news :)

6. I avoided getting to close to the edges because I was going to be puting a ribbon border around it anyway and I was also running low on the paint so I didn't want to waste any where it didn't need it.

7. With the second coat of paint on (which I applied pretty carelessly, only making sure there wasn't any red showing through) - no need to try an be perfect on this since it's dosn't make a difference in the outcome, I waited no more than 5-10 minutes for it to kinda dry.  Then peeled off all the tape (a fave step in any taped painting job).

8. Finally, with the pattern revealed and the paint dry,  rolled on 2 coats of polycrylic.  I would have done 3, but of course I was running low on that too!  Also, i'm sure you could use polyurethane instead (polycrylic dosn't smell quite as neasiating and the urethane, so that's what I like to use).

9. Once the poly dried (it was pretty quick, I think only about 10-15 mins max), I put the grosgrain ribbon border on with my BFF tool..a glue gun!  Yep, that's right..NEVER underestimate the power of the glue gun..seriously.  I covered the back of each section of ribbon in glue in a zig-zag type pattern.  PS: i've used A LOT of hot glue in my lifetime, from just about every retailer that sells it.  I've found that the best glue gun sticks (by far) are from your trusty 'ol WalMart...which also means they are the cheapest :)  You could probably assemble a vehicle with that glue and have it hold together as well as a Honda!

10. LAST STEP!  I cut some strips of that no slip rug backing stuff (the rubbery woven kind)..also super cheap and WalMart for a roll.. Hot glued these strips on the backside of the rug around the edges, as well as a few random bits in the middle of the back.  Then I flipped the rug over and Voila! A great area floorcloth for one $2!!!!!

NOTE:  The poly protectant on the rug makes clean up super easy (otherwise this project and rug WOULD NOT be for me)!  I think the paint on it also helps with that.  You can sweet and spot mop it AND wash in in the washer on a medium or gentle cycle.  Hang dry it.