{DIY} Painted Greek Key Rug

Summer is a great time to take on DIY Home Decor projects. Last year, I created my very own Greek Key Painted Rug. Below is an account of my DIY experience:

It all started with Pinterest. I noticed a lot of pins for an IKEA Rug Makoever. I thought to myself, “I can do this!”

Step One: Find an Inexpensive Rug

My first task was to purchase an inexpensive rug at IKEA. I went with a friend one Friday afternoon, and purchased the Karby rug for just $14.99!!!

Tip: Most people have used the Egeby rug from IKEA.

Step Two: Pick a Design Pattern

Once I was home with my new rug, the next step was to find a design pattern. Do I need a stencil? Should I do stripes? Chevron stripes? I really thought about this for couple of days. Then I discovered this pattern online: Greek Key

Step 3: Painting the First Color Tip: If you have a darker rug, or in the case of my rug, one with dark stripes, make sure to use dark color first (as your base) for your pattern.

***Important Lesson Learned: Your rug will require a large amount of paint!*** I thought a quart of paint would suffice, but I was wrong. I called a friend about my paint dilemma. She brought up the fact that I should have used primer before painting, and recommended that I add it now in my process. That was all I need to hear, and I ran out and bought some Kilz primer.

Step 4: Laying out My Pattern Tip: Start with a simple, geometric design & enlist a friend to help you layout your painter’s tape and adhere your pattern. I could not wait for the primer and paint to dry so I could lay down my pattern template. My husband graciously helped me figure out how to layout the painter’s tape for this design. It took me several hours to complete, but I was happy with the result.

Step Five : Apply a Second Paint Color to Your Rug This is where the magic happened! I used a grey colored paint I had leftover from my office, but the shade was a lighter than I expected. Fortunately, I discovered a number of paint samples of slate blue, and dark grey colors. I mixed all the paints together, and the result was a beautiful dark gray that would contrast well with the white color on the rug.

The tape did curl up a bit while I painted so I had to attack each quadrant carefully. I did not want the tape to move and ruin the lines of the design. I applied 3 coats of my grey color, and waited for the rug to dry about 24 hours before removing my tape. And here it is…my new greek key rug:

I call it, “Imperfectly Perfect.” I went back and filled in a few uneven spots, and sprayed it with a fabric protector. I’m giving myself a hi-five for all the hard work on this project. It paid off! We hope this fun project inspires some summer time creativity!