How to paint an indoor/outdoor rug.

By: Diy maven May 23, 2007

All home improvement stores sell big indoor/outdoor rugs. They’re cheap and they’re not attractive–dare I say ugly? Well, here’s a way to make one of those utilitarian things look fabulous.

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What you need:

One indoor/outdoor rug. Mine is an Ozite, 6' x 8' rug in bark. It cost 12 bucks and I had a 2 dollar rebate. If this size is too big, you can cut them down with a scissors to any size or shape you desire–probably even puzzle pieces.

Paint that will work in outdoor applications. I used RustOleum, indoor/outdoor, American Accents Midnight Blue in satin. One pint (about $2.65) was just enough to complete my project.

A small paint roller and paint tray

2" wide masking or painter’s tape–or whatever width tape you fancy

Newspaper

What you do:

Tape out a design on your rug. I applied tape two inches from the edge to reveal a border. Whatever design you choose for the interior of your rug, I’d highly suggest including a border as this will give a ‘bound’ look to your rug.

Tuck newspaper around the perimeter of your rug, and, using your roller, apply your paint to your taped-off area.

Let paint dry and–I LOVE this part–remove the tape.

I’ve tarted up these kinds of rugs before; they hold up really well to the elements and, when rained upon, dry as quickly as those fancy (and expensive) outdoor rugs. The paint, if you use the right kind, holds up equally well. In sunny spots, it will fade slightly. Great for decks, balconies, patios and porches; these rugs are so inexpensive and easy to decorate, you might want to make several.

Tagged : outdoor, decor, rug, allweather, paint

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Be careful what indoor rug you choose. I tried to repurpose my ugly indoor rug I had. It had a pattern which the paint couldn't cover up and the rug was too thick so it absorbed all the paint. I just posted about my failings at my blog.

Textile Teach
Jul 26, 2010

I have been looking and looking for info on painting rugs and carpeting. Many thanks. Do you have photos of any of your other rugs? I'd love to see more.

Jacki--probably, but painted pile of the long variety might not look as good as a dense pile like on these outdoor rugs.

Jacki
Aug 12, 2009

Can you just paint an indoor rug by taping off and adding the paint?

It would work fine. They're very utilitarian. Flat, dense, etc. BUT you can hose them down when they get dirty and--if you can hang them over a balcony or railing outside--they dry in no time. You can vacuum them too, of course. (The vacuum is the only way I can get cottonwood tree fluff off of mine.) I always thought using stencil/s on one would be cool. If you do want to use one indoors, I'd suggest making sure the back doesn't have a black seal, which starts to flake off after awhile. At least outside it does.

How would this work inside under a kitchen table? Since I'm re-doing my kitchen decor, I;m thinking about a custom area rug.

Hi pbrown. I haven't tried a shampooer on my rug, but I have actually vacuumed it with a vacuum that has a beater bar. (It's the best way for removing cottonwood tree fluff!) Since the rug is weatherproof and because the beater bar didn't do any damage to it or the paint, I'm guessing a shampooer wouldn't cause any damage either.

this a great idea but i was wondering if anyone had tried to clean one of these with a carpet shampooer. i have dogs that seek out mud and carpet cleaning is a must. hope i hear from someone soon so i can start on this project. thank you in advance for any advice.

That's GREAT!!

Thank you very much. I finally found an indoor/outdoor rug on sale at Home Depot that was not tooooo ugly. Then, yesterday I was at another Walmart, and lo and behold, walked right by a display of Ozite. That's the way it goes, but I am still planning on doing this project at a later time. Thanks again.

Hey petesmom. Sounds like you did everything I would suggest, so I did a little bit more investigation. Basically, I e-mailed my sister who lives in NY. She's familiar with the rug and the project. Anyway, she said she has seen them at Walmart. She doesn't know if they were the Ozite brand or not, but they were similar enough. And I know I've seen them at Home Depot. However, even if you can't find that particular brand, any non-woven indoor/outdoor rug will do. These kinds of rugs are generally rolled up in tubes and displayed in a box, like this--Ozite brand or not.

For comparison's sake, the Ozite is very light weight, the nap is VERY flat. And anything similar to the Ozite will be equally inexpensive as well--I'd say between 15 and 20 bucks. Good luck!!

I am new to this site. I am very interested in this project, but have a question. Where to buy Ozite? I have checked: Auto supply stores, a local hardware, carpet store, Home Depot, Walmart. Either I do not know what I am doing, or it is not available in this state (NY). I called the company, and was told to check Home Depot & Walmart. Every sales person has said they never heard of it. I will not go into the carpet store salesman's remarks. Thank you

Yes! Stencils! You can get that sticky spray you spray on the back of them to make them, well, sticky. I think they'd work great! And really, 15 bucks for a cool hand painted rug?? Doesn't get better than that!

!!!!! This is a great idea!!! Geez what would I do without you and your wonderful posts?! This opens up so many possibilities...! Your rug turned out really cute, by the way! Already I am envisioning pretty (but simple) patterns ... Little masking tape stencils...! I'd actually like this for indoor use (our backyard is GROSS), although rug-on-carpet never looks as great as rug-on-hardwood-floors (which I LOVE). But you know what, WHATEVER! lol

Oh my gosh, that is just too cute! I can't believe I already have four of these rugs. I got them when hubby finished the wood floors and we hadn't found the right area rugs for each room yet. I'm using one of them on the front porch, but never thought to paint it to look prettier. I am soooo going to do this. Thanks!

Removing the tape is always my most dreaded part of any painting project. :(

Hi Kpuppy, welcome to Curbly. The answer to your question is, no. I thought it would look more interesting than making two identical lines, but that's what's fun about this project: laying down the tape and seeing what happens! I guess sometimes what happens is the Danish flag ;)