"Welcome annoying solictor, welcome to my home. Please try and sell me stuff."
Do you ever say "welcome" as a greeting? I don't think I have. I say hi, hello, or just start talking their heads off. We've had this IKEA rug for almost a year now and it's held up pretty well (minus a few twigs and dirt). But I bought it with the intention of painting it and I needed to make good on that after Doug installed a new storm door. Inspired by the word "hello" popping up every where, the sweatshirts at Hello Apparel, and maybe the Seinfeld stomach voice, I made a Hello Mat.
Materials needed:
- a SINDAL door mat from IKEA ($4.99!!), or any cheap mat
- Rustoleum Painter's Touch Flat Black brushable paint
- a thick brush
I painted on the "hello" freehand. Sorry, I kinda feel like a jerk not having a fancy stencil for you to print. But it wasn't too difficult if you're careful and take your time.
Take your brush and while it's still paint-less, pretend paint the letters to visualize where things should go, where to start, all that. Letter by letter, brush on the paint SUPER light to give yourself a guide. Then, letter by letter, darken each letter with a ton of paint. Go slowly, and add more paint where you need to get the look you want.
If you look on the top of the second "L" in the picture below, you can see the lightly brushing and then the filling in. I was trying to decide if I should stop after this letter, or grow up and just paint the "O". 😉
I had a few drips and you might too, but this mat is forgiving and hides it. I was able to pick a few of them off a day later once it had dried. I didn't seal the mat with anything because I like the natural look, but this is the same paint that we used on our exterior doors and it has held up really well. And if it does wear a bit, we can either touch it up or get another $5 rug to paint.
We found the storm door and light fixture at Lowe's. The light was a galvanized metal I spray painted last summer (here and here) to match our black shutters. The door was painted with the same exact can of flat black used for the rug. Croquet set and galvanized pot, each a $1 at a garage sale, and I bought the jade plant when I made the color blocked succulent pot.
Want a before and after? Here's our house back in August 2009 the first time we looked at it.
and now! New siding and windows, thrifted (and painted) shutters, and a tiny bit of bad landscaping. That and a brick pathway are this summer's projects:
But we'll get there! We've gone a long way with our backyard progress in the last year and I'm excited to share those projects with you guys. We've done a lot and I haven't been sharing it because I want to get the perfect pictures or tutorials and it holds me back. I'm going to get better at that. 🙂
Are you digging the "hello" trend too? I like it mostly because it gives me an excuse to use the Seinfeld voice. Hellooooooooo! La la la…
Jessica
How has this mat held up in the elements?? I live in a rainy climate....
Ashley @ musingsandoats
This is pretty adorable and super welcoming!!! Do you mind if I feature/link back to it on my blog? I would love to share it 🙂
Sarah
I have some leftover oil based exterior paint - the kind used for doors. Do you think it would work for this project?
Ann Marie Heasley
I'm pretty sure it would work, but haven't tried it myself. I've only used oil based once or twice, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Let me know how it goes!
Hilary
Cute!!
Sherry
Cute! And you make it look and sound so easy. I was totally wanting to do this and thinking I needed some kind of fancy stencil, lol, but you just proved that it can be done without and look fabulous regardless. I want my doorstep to say 'hello' to all the visitors! 😉
Jenn
Very cute! And you have done a wonderful job with your home! It looks wonderful!
Sarah McKenna
So cute!!! Love the Sein reference. 🙂
Inspire Me Heather
Your "hello" mat is super cute (and I loved the price tag too)!!
Trina @ Let's Just Build a House Blog
very cute! and i love seeing the before and after of houses. you guys are doing a great job.
Marty Walden
I adore this! What a simple and frugal idea!
Erin @ DIY On the Cheap
Very cute! And love that it was $5!
Jess McGurn
Wow! What a transformation! It's so charming!
Megan
I cannot believe your before and afters. Impressive! Your house is so charming and welcoming. The mat turned out fab.
katie
I love this doormat! I need to make a cute mat for our back porch... hmmm you've got my wheels thinking.
Krysta - KrystaSteen.com
Super cute! There's no way my free hand lettering would look that good though, lol! 🙂
Ann Marie Heasley
I surprised myself, haha! I'm sure you would too. 🙂
jennydecki (@jennydecki)
LOL @ deciding to add the O 🙂 Those are *powerful* before and after pictures. It's amazing. No one would even guess it's the same house. My jaw actually dropped. I love the light fixture, too.
Ann Marie Heasley
yesss! The jaw drop is a hard response to get, you made my day. 🙂 The light fixture was under $30, can't beat it! Thanks so much, Jenny!!
Ashley
Wow... Love the mat and the before and after. What a difference you guys have made. Beautiful.
Ann Marie Heasley
awwwwww. 🙂 Thanks, Ashley!!