Of all the things I create, this is one of my favorites. I have made a ton of these diy coir doormats and they look amazing! There is also something so gratifying about seeing how they turn out. And, with a diy coir doormat – design possibilities are endless!  I’m tempted to make one for every season!

They are however, something it seems it may take a while to perfect. But, a little time and patience pay off in a big way.

Craftiness Level (0-10): 7

Time Investment: 30 minutes (not including design time)

Materials:

• Doormat (find them here at Target – ONLY $9.99!   I love these!)
• 24 inch cutting mat
• 651 vinyl rolls
• exterior paint – black
• paintbrush

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from these links I may make a small commission at no cost to you. 

Step 1: Create (or import) your design

Create the design in Silhouette Studio or import the design you choose.

If you wish to use my design you may download it here. Please note, the state is not included in the file. You can download the appropriate shape in Silhouette Store or find a SVG on Etsy. My design is for personal use only.

When working with your design in Studio, I recommend keeping it within a 12 X24 inch frame to make cutting easier. Piecing together multiple pieces on a mat is not fun.

Step 2: Cut & weed your design

For my material, I choose to use Oracel 651. People use different materials for doormat projects but I have found it to work best.

I use a 12X24 inch mat so that I do not have to piece together different sections of vinyl.   I buy vinyl rolls and keep them on hand specifically for these projects. Since I was using a roll and my mat wasn’t the stickiest, I put some blue painter’s tape around the edges to make sure it was firmly secured. 

When weeding these designs you need to be careful to reverse weed and pull the letters out. Do NOT pull out the insides of letter. Leave those for the transfer tape to pick up.

Here are my thoughts on the other materials people use.  I found wax paper a pain to cut.  It ripped easily and even after ironing it down, didn’t stick that great.  The inside peices of letters were a nightmare. 

 Cardboard was ridiculously hard to get to stay in place.  I had a little trouble with the paint getting higher than I wanted it to also.  I spent way too much time securing it with safety pins.

For these reasons, I’ve found 651 to be the easiest method.  I’m not going to lie, the transfer tape can be a bit of a pain, but the more you do it, the better you get. 

Step 3: Find your center and adhere your design to the doormat.

This step is the most time consuming. Especially when using 651.

Before applying be sure to measure from all angles to make sure your design is center. I like to leave a good about of space on the sides of my designs for design appeal. Once you have found your center you will need to press down firmly and begin to slowly peel your transfer tape.

I have found that it helps to secure the sides with painter’s tape. This serves two purposes. It prevents your material from shifting, and gives you extra room for small mistakes when you paint.

Peeling the transfer tape will take some getting used to on material like this but it truly works the best for painting.  

Step 4: Use a blower dryer to heat the vinyl. 

Using just a standard household blow dryer, gently blow across the vinyl to heat it.  As you blow press down to secure it. 

This will make the vinyl stick even better and prevent any bleeds.  When you are finished, the vinyl will look dimpled.  Be sure to do this very slowly so as to prevent any bleeds. 

When you are finished, the vinyl will look dimpled.  Be sure to do this very slowly so as to prevent any small pieces from blowing away.  

Step 5: Apply paint generously.

I always use black, exterior paint.

I usually can grab a gallon at Walmart for like $20 bucks. That will last you a long time, leaving plenty for awesome gifts for friends and family

. I do two layers. The first layer is my thick one. I lay it on pretty heavy so it will seep down inside the coir. Then, after I have coated my stencil. I go back with my brush and jab down, ensuring full coverage.

Step 6: Rip vinyl off and allow to dry.

Once I’m done painting, I allow it to dry for about 10 minutes. I then quickly tear off the stencil. I usually start from both sides and pull up very fast to meet in the middle.

Once the big layer is off, you will need to go back and remove the pieces still inside the letters.

After this is complete, allow your mat to dry a minimum of 24 hours before using. Coir can be discolored by weather, so I recommend using it on a covered porch.  

Pro tip – invest in a little pair of these.  If you screw up and drip a little paint you can cut it right off when it dries. 

These are so much fun and can be so versatile!  I have made many different designs and look forward to experimenting with different colors soon. 

Do you love the way it looks but don’t have time to make one?  Check out my Etsy store here for my mats for sale.  Also be sure to follow me and check out all the cute DIY projects I’m pinning over on Pinterest!