I got the newest Lowes Creative Ideas magazine and I am in love with this one. Make your own fabulous old world wall art with a rubber doormat as the stencil! Go figure, huh?


Here are the details:

Lowe’s List

Skill level: Beginner

Rough cost estimate: $110*

Rough time estimate: 1 day

• 2 poplar boards, 1 x 12 x 6**
• oil-based stain (Minwax Wood Finish, Dark Walnut, #45810)
• rubber doormat (24- x 36-inch, #132070)
• painter’s tape (#53140)
• spray primer (#45553)
• spray paint (Valspar, Porcelain, #282281)
• fast-drying polyurethane spray (Minwax, #45863)
• self-leveling picture hangers (#62958)
• appropriate fasteners for your wall type

*Does not include applicable taxes, which vary by market, or the cost of tools.

**Availability varies by market.

"Inspired by antique ironwork, this sophisticated piece is surprisingly easy to pull together. The spray-painted scroll pattern on the wood boards comes from an unexpected source—a rubber doormat."

Step 1: Ask a Lowe’s employee in the lumber department to cut each 1 x 12 x 6 in half, creating four approximately 3-foot-long boards.

Step 2: Sand the boards, and wipe clean. Wearing gloves, apply stain to the boards following the manufacturer’s instructions. Let dry, and repeat with additional coats if needed to achieve the desired finish. Allow to dry completely.

Step 3: Cover a flat work surface with a drop cloth, and place two of the boards side by side. Position the doormat face up and centered on the boards. Use painter’s tape to cover any exposed areas outside the border of the mat, including the boards’ side edges.

Step 4: Apply a coat of spray primer to the boards through the mat, spraying from straight above. Then apply two or three light coats of spray paint. Note: Heavy coats of paint will blur the stencil design. Allow each coat to dry.

Step 5: Remove the doormat, and repeat Steps 3–4 for the remaining two boards.

Step 6: Spray the boards with clear polyurethane. Allow to dry. Hang the boards using picture hangers and appropriate hardware for your wall type.

While we are honestly pretty tried and true Home Depot fans, I do adore this little magazine, it's free and they have some great ideas for indoors and out. Check it out and subscribe if that's your thing.