DIY Welcome Mat

A few months ago I saw a blog about making a welcome mat. Of course, now that I am finally getting around to doing the project I can't find my original inspriation blog. But I can show you how I made mine :)

I bought a plain welcome mat at IKEA for $4.99. It's a natural fiber mat with a latex backing.I also bought a pack of stencil letters at Menard's for $3.99.

I used masking tape to tape off my pattern.

At the cabin I had some exterior solid color brown stain, so I used that and applied it with a small brush. I used the same technique as you'd use for stencilling, but had more paint on the end of the brush since I wanted it to go into the natural fibers.

After I was done painting, I removed the tape, and let the mat dry.

I am really pleased with how it turned out! The total cost for this project was only $8.98 inlcuding the stencils, since I already had some paint on hand.
I can just see the possibilities of making mats for different seasons, or for gifts.