DIY: Custom Skinny Doormat

Like any good Asian, the thought that popped into mind when I saw small steps to my new apartment was, Where to wipe shoes before going inside?

Thanks to Etsy, I learned about the existence of skinny doormats. And thanks to them being twice as expensive for half the size, this DIY ensued.

Supplies

IKEA TRAMPA doormat*

Acrylic paint**

Scissors

Paintbrush

Pins

* I wouldn’t recommend my IKEA coir doormat as the fibers on mine constantly fly everywhere. Not sure if it’s because it’s been cut or if the IKEA one is low quality.

** Use waterproof paint if you have any. I used non-waterproof and while the paint’s been fine (I also don’t step on the lettered part), I’ll probably spray paint sealer over it soon.

To begin, I cut my doormat in half, which perfectly fit my skinny doorsteps. I then cut out the sketched ‘hi’ and secured the paper with a lot of sewing needles.

Got too busy to document the next step, which involved blotting a large stiff bristled paintbrush while holding the paper steadily. Wait for the paint to dry, and go over it once or twice more for the paint to fully set. Surprisingly, none of it bled outside the outline once I took off the sketching!

I had wanted to write ‘bye’ on the other piece of the doormat, and face it the opposite way so you’ll see it while leaving the house. However, I got bored and figured one customized doormat was good enough.

Are skinny doormats practical? Not the least. The soles of my shoes do not get adequate wipe coverage. But they sure are cute, especially next to some happy succulents.