How-To: Dweeby Welcome Mat

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As I stared at my raggedy-looking doormat a couple months ago, I realized that it was time for a change. A welcome mat is the first thing to greet you and your guests when you walk in the door—which is all the more reason why a welcome mat should represent you! All who enter your secret lair should know what to expect, no? So when my friends at DweebCast asked me to do another DIY episode, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. (Check out the video above to see the mat we made for the DweebCast HQ!)

For my personal Dweeby Welcome Mat, I wanted to display a geeky saying or word on it. I decided on using the word, “chowbaso”. Because what better way to welcome my guests than by saying it in Huttese?! The only thing better would be if when you stepped on the mat, Jabba’s voice greeted you. Guess that’ll be a project for another day! In the meantime, here’s how to make your own Dweeby Welcome Mat!

What You’ll Need:

  • Coir Door Mat
  • Large Stencils
  • Outdoor Spray Paint
  • Painter’s Tape
  • Newspaper or Paper Bags
  • Straight Pins

 

STEP 1: BUY YOUR DOORMAT

When selecting your doormat, I recommend finding one that has short, coarse fibers. A coir mat is best since the paint adheres to it well and it will also wear better over time.

Mat

I found this coir mat at IKEA for only $9.99!

Mat 1

 

STEP 2: SELECT YOUR STENCILS

Most craft stores offer a good selection of stencils or you can make your own. You want your geeky word or quote to take up space on the mat, so try to use stencils that are on the larger side. I found these large paper stencils at Michaels.

Stencils

 

STEP 3: ARRANGE YOUR STENCILS ON THE WELCOME MAT

Once your area is prepped for spray painting, begin arranging the stencils on the mat. Use painter’s tape to attach the stencils together. This will keep the stencil aligned.

Stencils on Mat

 

Use straight pins to secure the stencils onto the mat.

Pinned Stencils

 

Then cover the rest of your mat with newspaper or paper bags.

Prepped Stencil

 

STEP 4: SPRAY PAINT MAT

When selecting your spray paint, you’ll need to find an indoor/outdoor paint. I chose black spray paint since the color hides dirt well.

Spray Paint

 

Now, spray paint the stencil by moving the can in a sweeping motion a few inches away from the welcome mat. You’ll need to paint a few coats to get the right amount of coverage. Wait a few minutes in between coats, then allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours.

Painted Stencil

 

STEP 5: CREATE BORDER

Once the paint is dry, remove your stencil. You can leave the design as is or you can use painter’s tape (or masking tape) to create a border around your design! Measure each of the sides with a ruler, to make sure the border is even all around.

Pinned Border

 

STEP 6: SPRAY PAINT BORDER

Cover the areas you want protected, then spray paint the exposed area of the border.

Painted Border

 

STEP 7: REMOVE PAINTER’S TAPE

After all the paint is dry, remove the painter’s tape and protective covering.

Dweeby Welcome Mat 1

 

Now your Dweeby Welcome Mat is now done! Bounty hunters, beware.

Dweeb Welcome Mat

Happy crafting! ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. Michele
    September 14, 2014 / 9:46 pm

    Very nice! I have been looking to buy a custom mat and got a quote for way too much so I thought I would try my hand at it. I bought the same Martha Stewart stencils. A couple of questions. How did you get the spacing to be so even between letters? Did you buy two sets so that you had two “o”s? Thanks.

    • Jeni
      Author
      October 9, 2014 / 6:25 pm

      Thank you for checking out my post! When I first laid down the lettering, I just eyeballed the spacing. Then I took a ruler and measured the distance between each letter. It wasn’t exact but I tried to get the spacing between letters as consistent as possible. I only used one package of stencils on the mat I made with Andy (in the video). However for my Huttese mat, I believe I did use two package of stencils. Fortunately, the spray paint dries pretty quickly so if you only have one package, it’s definitely doable! Hope this is helpful and happy crafting! 🙂

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