Tuesday, August 12, 2014

DIY Astro Turf Rug

So... what are your thoughts on astro turf?  Hate it?  Love it?  I think it's really fun and provides a super affordable way to cover a lot of space for a small price.  You're probably asking why I have a sudden interest in the green stuff.  Well, after living in apartments for most of my adult life, hubby and I finally have a place that has a .... wait for it.... small outdoor patio.  Woo hoo!  Chuck was so excited to see our tiny "backyard" that he literally ran around the area for about half an hour when we first moved in.  The space is really a blessing and I love that we can just open the door and enjoy some private outdoor space whenever we want to.  And that brings me to today's craft post- our backyard DIY Astro Turf Rug.

DIY Astro Turf Rug

DIY Astro Turf Rug for Kids
(There are affiliate links in this post.  Thank you so much for your support.)


We don't wear shoes inside the house, so it's a hassle for Chuck to have to put on and take off his shoes every time he wants to quickly pop outside.  So we made this super easy astro turf rug to act as a very large door mat.   We love it so much because it's a cute area where Chuck can play or go barefoot without tracking too much dirt into the house.




Materials Needed 

  • Astro Turf Rug (We got a huge piece for less than $20  at Home Depot.  Part of it was used to cover the back patio and part of it is used inside the garage.)
  • Indoor and Outdoor Craft Paint 
  • Chalk
  • Scissors
  • Lighter
  • Tape measure
  • Printer and paper
  • Cardboard or Paper (I used contact paper, but it totally did not stick.  I think a paper stencil would have been just fine)


Let's Do this!

materials needed to cut and seal astro turf rug so that it doesn't shed

1.  Measure your area to see how big you want your rug to be.

2.  Use chalk to draw out the rug's shape on the back of the astro turf.

3.  Use scissors to cut out your shape.

4.  We had a lot of shedding (ick!), so we took a lighter and gently melted the edges of the rug.  That really helped to prevent green bits from falling off everywhere.

stencil your astro turf rug with craft paint

5.  Print out your words onto a piece of paper.  Then cut them out.  Now here's where I'm going to ask you to ignore the photo above.  I thought I was being clever by creating a stencil out of contact paper.  Ehhh, nope.  The contact paper  did not stick to the astro turf.  So I could have just used my paper print out as a stencil instead.  So don't do what I did, ok?

6.  Use your Indoor and Outdoor Craft Paint and paint the letters on.  If you use a paper stencil (or contact paper like me), you're going to have to go slowly and carefully.  The paper isn't going to adhere to your astro turf, so you have to use the cutout letters as guidelines.  Hold your stencil down with one hand while painting with the other.  Be careful, stay within the lines, don't paint underneath the stencil, don't water down your paint, and use a small brush.

7.  Let your paint dry overnight.

Tada! And now you have yourself a cute astro turf rug, perfect for keeping feet (and homes) clean.

how to paint a DIY Astro Turf Rug


We've had this guy outside for a couple of days now and it always makes me happy to see it.  

DIY Astro Turf Rug


If you'd like to see more super easy DIY home decorating ideas, click on the links below:


And you can always find other ideas on my Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts!

Happy Making!