Deck rug

I have always wanted a rug a to place outside to ground our patio furniture. However, I never wanted to pay the price they want for them! Not to mention, then you have to hose it out, sweep it, clean it... Really? So, I decided, if people can paint designs on their floors, why couldn't I paint a rug on our back deck? So I gathered up all the leftover paint we had sitting around, taped off the deck and our oldest son & got down to business! We did it within a few hours. You will need:

• old paint
• brushes or small rollers
• painters tape
• measuring tape
• pencil

Because you've used all of the colors in your home already, they should all go together quite well! Do they match exactly, no, but they should "go" just fine.

We measure the width of the planks and marked off the perpendicular lines to match the width. You can make a weave design, or any design you desire. We kept it simple. We marked with the pencil and taped off all the sections before we began.

Start from the inside and work out, otherwise you'll be playing painter twister to get back to the inside sections. It was quite simple.

When we were finished, we let it dry overnight. After I pulled up the painter's tape, there were sections left to be filled in. I have a steady hand and was able to freehand these small sections. If you don't, tape them off to paint them.

When you're completely done painting and it's dry, you can choose to seal it along with the rest of your deck. We did not, and it did not fair very well over the winter. I'm planning on powerwashing it, redoing it and sealing it this year. The deck railings need a good touch up as well.

And there you have it! A new deck "rug" for free! It adds the perfect touch of color.
Isn't that everything?