After finishing my dresser transformation project and adding board and batten to the wall, I was starting to feel like the floor of the entryway was looking a little empty.
Empty, yeah?
I knew I wanted some sort of runner/mat in front of the dresser. And I wanted it to fit perfectly in front of the dresser. But past that, I really wasn’t sure. I spent all sorts of time browsing Houzz rugs and hoping for inspiration.
And eventually, I ended up in the jute/sisal rug section, and thought that the sisal texture would add awesome interest to the space. I probably would’ve purchased a rug then and there, because mass-produced rugs typically end up cheaper than anything I make, but I needed it to be exactly 55 inches long. I’m picky like that. And nobody sells 55″ rugs.
So in a typical me fashion, I decided to make my own custom rustic doormat.
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Materials
- Non-Skid Rug Mat: I used this one from Walmart, because it was large enough, and the cheapest I could find. At posting, the Walmart mat was a couple dollars cheaper than the least expensive one I could find on Amazon (this one), but definitely check before you buy!
- Sturdy Fabric: I used some excess blackout lining I had sitting around, but pretty much anything sturdy, sew-able and neutral colored would work.
- Sisal Rope: I spent ages trying to find inexpensive rope. As cute as this doormat would be, I didn’t want to spend $100 dollars on it. I ultimately found 1/2″ Sisal Rope at Harbor Freight at $5.99 for 50 feet. This was by far the best price, especially if you’re extra cheap like me and show up multiple times in order to get 20% off (and a free tape measure!) each time.
- Sisal Twine
- Wood Glue
- Binder clips, clothespins, or other object that holds things in place
- Sewing Machine
- Thread
How to Make a Custom Rustic Doormat
Part 1: Make the Base
I cut the non-skid rug mat to the size that I ultimately wanted my rug to be (55″x 20″) and cut the blackout lining to 1″ larger on both sides than I wanted my rug to be (56″x 21″). This was so that I could hem the sides of the lining to create a smooth edge, while simultaneously securing the lining to non-skid material.
Note how the blackout lining is 1/2″ larger than the nonskid mat on all sides.
I then folded the lining over nonskid material, and pinned it into place.
And then, yep, you guessed it, I sewed around the entire perimeter of the rug.
Part 2: Add the Sisal Rope
This is the easiest step, but more time consuming and tedious than expected. I cut each piece of rope to be 55″, the length I wanted my rug to be. Then, using wood glue, I glued each piece to the base.
The sisal pieces were inclined to curl up, so I secured each piece with binder clips until the glue dried.
It’s clear in the above picture that I’m not very good at cutting the rope the exact same length… After all the rope was on and the glue was fully dry, I trimmed the edges using a jigsaw.
Part 3: Add Twine Flowers
Since twine flowers are useful for all sorts of things, I made a separate post on how I make my flowers, which you can find here.
After I’d made enough flowers, I glued them on to the edges of the mat using wood glue.
In order to make sure the glue stuck to the flowers and the rope, I weighted the flowers down with some heavy-ish books.
Why yes, I did major in math.. And that probability class was just as miserable as you’re imagining.
And then the mat was done!
I think the mat adds a lot of texture and interest to the entryway, which if you haven’t seen the reveal yet, go check it out. I’m so glad I took the time to make it! If you think this rug is fabulous too (I’m biased, I know…) go ahead and save this post to Pinterest so you can find it again later!
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