Stencil a Floorcloth

First, we recommend this book The Complete Book of Floorcloths : Designs & Techniques for Painting Great-Looking Canvas Rugs by Kathy Cooper (click on the title to purchase from Amazon.com).

Begin with a manageable size for your first project. A 2' x 3' is ideal for this and does not require a hem.

Use graph paper to grid out your design (i.e. each block equals ½", 2' x 3' = 24" x 36" x 2 blocks per inch = 48 blocks x 72 blocks.)

Purchase pre-primed floorcloth canvas. It is already primed with gesso. This eliminates the shrinkage factor.

Place canvas on a large piece of plastic. Paint each side of the canvas with interior or exterior latex house paint in either flat, satin or eggshell. The back should have at least one coat, the front side two coats. You will recognize the front side of primed canvas because it is more white than the back side.

Prepackaged 2' x 3' floorcloths are meant to be left unhemmed. If doing a size larger than 2' x 3', the next step is to hem the floorcloth. A 2" hem is a nice size. Use a quilter's plastic see-through ruler to pencil mark the hem. Score the hemline on the right side with an exacto knife blade. This makes for a nice crease. Fold hem to the back. Use Aileen's super heavy duty Tacky Glue applied with fingers or a craft stick. Don't forget to miter corners to relieve the bulk. Use a rolling pin to squeeze excess glue out of the hem.

Use painters tape to create solid sections for painting. Burnish the tape edges using a credit card to prevent seeping of paint.

Stencil the design.

Apply at least 5 coats of Minwax Polycrylic to seal.

For more information on creating your own floorcloth, click here