Hold your horses! This DIY doormat will be at the top of your summer to-do list. It is the perfect outdoor project that will brighten up any doorstep. Choose a unique horsey design and get painting to create your very own welcoming masterpiece.Â
Materials
â—† Coir doormat
â—† Acrylic paint
â—† Printed stencil or template
â—† Tape (painters or duct)
â—† Paint brushes
â—† Spray rubber sealant coating
â—† Craft foam (optional)
Stencil & Paint
â—† Step 1: Choose your design and print it out. Then cut out the center so you have your very own stencil/template. You can choose one large design or a shape that you repeat all over your mat.Â
â—† Step 2: Tape your template to your doormat to keep it in place while you paint.Â
â—† Step 3: Using a paint brush and acrylic paint, fill in your design with paint. If you are using a repeating design, repeat this step until you are satisfied with your doormat design.Â
â—† Step 4: Let the paint dry.Â
â—† Step 5: Once dry, have an adult help you spray your doormat with a rubber sealant coating and let it set according to the directions on the spray can.Â
Craft Foam & PaintÂ
You can also use craft foam to cut out your very own sponge to paint your doormat.
â—† Step 1: Print out design.
â—† Step 2: Trace design on foam.
â—† Step 3: Cut out foam.
â—† Step 4: Dip your foam sponge in paint and press the sponge on your doormat.
â—† Step 5: Once dry, coat with rubber spray sealant just like in Step 5 of the stencil directions.Â
TIP: You can use the back of a paintbrush (the non-brush end) to create the nail holes of a horseshoe.
Either way you create your mat, once the sealant is dry, you’re ready to set out your doormat and enjoy!
This article about making a DIY horsey doormat appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
