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How to Paint Rugs For Home Decor

One way that you can get area rugs to match your decor is to paint them yourself. There are several ways that you can paint rugs to match your home decor. These include using a stencil, stamping or using dye. You can even use a paintbrush and create your own masterpiece on a rug.

Some of the supplies you will need in order to paint rugs for home decor include a rug (you might want to start with an old rug for your first time); a pattern (either stencils or stamps); fabric paint or dye and a set of brushes.

Getting started...Before you attempt to paint the rug for your home, be sure that you know what you want to do. You should have a design idea in your head and be able to sketch it out on paper. Once you have an idea of what you want to do, sketch it out and think of how you can make it a reality. Gather up the materials and get started.

You will want to prepare the area where you are working with newspaper or tarp so that you do not get paint or dye anywhere else. For your first project, you should start with an older throw rug.

Using fabric paint- Fabric paint is made to adhere to fabric and is washable. If you are planning on stenciling the rug or using stamps, you should use the fabric paint just as you would stencil or stamp paint. Put the fabric paint on a piece of waxed paper or on a palette. If stenciling, affix the stencil to the rug and then gradually blot around the stencil with a stencil brush dipped in the paint with most of the paint blotted off. This is known as the dry brush technique and should be used when stenciling anything, including a rug.

You can purchase fabric paint in just about any color at your local craft or arts store. It is water soluble and will not have a strong odor. If you get it on your hands, just wash it off with soap and water.

Using fabric dye- Fabric dye is indelible and will not easily come off your hands. There are several fabric dyes on the market. You can use a fabric dye as you would fabric paint, although because dye tends to bleed, you may get a more muddled result. However, fabric dye will not come off or rub off, it is permanent.

Many people are intimidated when using a fabric dye on clothes because of its permanence. Be sure to cover existing areas so that they do not get dye on them and wear gloves to prevent dye getting on your hands.

No matter what type of technique you use to paint your floor rugs, you should start out on a small piece of rug to get the feel of this type of painting. Once you successful paint a floor rug, you will most likely want to design rugs for other areas of the house. You can turn an ordinary rug into a work of art for your home simply by adding some paint or fabric dye.

By:Fran Sloan

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