Spring has officially sprung in SoCal! And though I don’t get to experience the seasons in San Diego, I grew up on the East Coast where the spring months meant airing out the house, dusting off your patio, and generally coming out of hibernation after a dark, cold, winter. This time of year always has me itching to give my house a good spring clean and reset for summer!

Though I don’t have any tips to offer when it come to deep cleaning, I DO have a fun, fast, and easy DIY project that will help inspire creativity, add some personality to your front door, and give you a dopamine boost that comes with instant gratification. So throw on your dad sneakers and grab your keys - we’re going to Home Depot to get supplies for your new Custom Welcome Mat!

Wild Welcome Mat

SKILL LEVEL: Medium

TIME: 1-2 hours (not including drying time)

COLOR: Black

TOOLS: 1 drop cloth, 1-2 brushes in varying sizes

MATERIALS: 1 plain doormat, 1 print out of the leopard print design, 1 sample size of black exterior paint

PREPPING

This is an easy one to dive right into - not much to prep here! Lay down a drop cloth if you’re working on a floor or countertop to protect from spills. Or skip the drop cloth and work outside on the grass!

PAINTING

Leopard print is very beginner friendly because it’s essentially a collection of imperfect blobs and polka dots, and U shapes. Take a small brush and and start painting the pattern on one side of the mat, working your way to the other side, while leaving a small spaces of varied sizes in between each leopard print. This type of door mat likes to stop the paint from soaking in, so be sure to push down somewhat hard on your brush to get the paint in there deep! Be sure to have some of the pattern bleed off the edge of the mat for a more realistic and cohesive look.
Once you’ve covered the entire mat, take a step back and look for any spots that aren’t totally opaque. Touch up with a little bit more black paint, and leave your mat somewhere safe to dry for 1-2 hours. Once dry, put it outside your door and wait for the complements to roll in!

Other ideas

Leopard print not your thing? The great thing about this Custom Welcome Mat is that it’s a blank slate for you to decorate however you want! This is such an inexpensive project that I like to paint different designs for different seasons, holidays, birthdays - or just for an easy way to switch up the vibe. I recently changed up the color on my front door and painted the Welcome Mat below and love the sunny energy visitors are getting now when they enter my home!