DIY Welcome Mats for Your Home
Updated on July 12, 2017
Whether or not your home has a welcome mat set at the front door might seem like a minute detail when it comes to considering the grander scheme of your home décor, but you’d be surprised at the difference they can make! It makes sense, if you really think about it; the area around your front deck, porch, and central door is the first impression that visitors get of your home. That makes welcome mats a great opportunity to set the tone for what your home looks like on the inside and how you want the world to see your home from the street.
There are plenty of awesome looking welcome mats that you can buy pre-made in stores but where’s the fun in that? As avid DIY enthusiasts, we’re super huge fans of making our own things and floor mats are no exception. Check out these 15 awesome DIY welcome mat designs that are totally customizable and made entirely by you!
1. Wooden rainbow mat
Are you the kind of modern person who really likes bright décor but still likes to keep it stylish? Then you’re probably a huge fan of colour blocking! Here’s a design from Lowe’s Creative that takes the concept of “blocking” quite literally by creating a welcome mat from brightly painted wooden blocks attached in a staggered manner by screws.
2. Grout tile welcome mat
Have you always loved the look of stone tiles and mosaics and done your best to mimic that in your home while still keeping things quite contemporary? Then we have a feeling you’ll be pretty into this novelty message mat that Bob Vila made from strategically placed grout tile. We love the idea of giving guests a simple friendly greeting before they’ve even knocked on the door and we also like the way the black letter tiles contrast starkly with the white background for easy reading!
3. Straw trivet mat
Straw trivets are useful for all kinds of things. You’ve probably seen them around your grandparents’ kitchen before, left over from how trendy they were in the 70s. That’s why we love this swirling straw trivet mat idea from Made It So; it gives you a little bit of a naturally nostalgic aesthetic. They’ve placed theirs on the kitchen floor here, but we would absolutely put this out on the front step! Make yours from previously existing trivets that you’ve collected and want to upcycle or get really creative and make straw trivets of your own from scratch before you attach them.
4. Garden hose half mat
Are you a gardening enthusiast who loves upcycling old gardening tools and making it apparent that if you don’t answer your door on the first knock, it’s probably because you’re out working in your flower beds or herb gardens? Then we think this upcycled garden hose half mat is the perfect project for you! Mark Kintzel Design shows you how to cut measured lengths of an old garden hose that you’re not using anymore and place them and attach them in an arching shape so they layer around one another. The flat edge will sit perfectly against the step up into your door jamb.
5. Wine cork door mat
Any wine connoisseur will know how easy it is to start accumulating corks, as well as how bad it feels to always be throwing out something so solid and usefully versatile. That’s why we’re totally obsessed with wine cork crafts! To be honest, we could write (and have written) whole posts about different ways to upcycle corks, but for now we’ll just show you this wine cork welcome mat created by Living Well on The Cheap.
6. Leather belt mat
Are you the kind of décor enthusiast who prefers a grand aesthetic full of rich, dark colours and hardy materials or fabrics? Then you’re probably pretty into things made of dark leather. That might not sound like something you can translate into a welcome mat, but Craft Forest begs to differ! Check out how they created this awesome leather belt mat that gives you a great opportunity to both craft with unconventional materials and upcycle things that aren’t being used anymore, whether they’re from your own collection or the sale rack in a thrift store.
7. DIY pebble mat
Have you gone to great lengths to establish a natural aesthetic in your home that’s similar to what one might find in a relaxing health spa? Then you probably already know the lovely visual effect a few prettily polished stones and pebbles can have on a space. Our home is actually similar to what we’ve just described, so we made our own version of this stunning (and surprisingly simple) pebble and river stone mat from Curbly. They might have used theirs as a bath mat, but you can bet ours is sitting at the front door as we speak.
8. Bottle cap mat
Were you intrigued by the idea of making a wine cork floor mat but wine isn’t actually your drink of choice because you’re much more of a beer person? In that case, this bottle cap mat from An Decline might be more up your alley! Alternatively, you could make this from the tops of vintage style soda pop bottles if you’re not big on alcoholic beverages but don’t mind a good sugary pop every once in a while.
9. DIY fabric floorcloth
Are you a sewing enthusiast who has been scrolling through our list so far just lying in wait until an idea pops up that will give your skillset its time in the sun? Then East Coast Creative has a project just for you! After all, not every welcome mat has to be made out of unconventional materials. This floor fabric is a great idea for dry summer weather and for using up fabric that you have a decent amount of but still not enough for a full garment or larger project.
10. Stenciled “You Are Here” mat
Perhaps you’re in the mood for customizing your own mat but you’d rather alter a pre-existing mat rather than starting entirely from scratch yourself, at least for now? Then check out this stenciled letter idea featured on Pinterest! Paint and simple cut out stencils will let you write any message you please on a regular wicker brush porch mat.
11. Hand painted “Home” mat
Do you love the idea of making yourself an easy block letter mat but black letters made from stencils isn’t quite bright and fun enough for your tastes? Then try painting your own message with colourful all purpose paints instead! Abeautifulmess shows you how they made this easy “Home” mat from a plain old store bought item in just a few simple steps.
12. DIY striped monogram mat
Creating a pattern on a store bought mat using paints and stencils is all well and good, but perhaps you’re a bit more of a design enthusiast? Then check out this easy but eye catching striped monogram design that puts the concept of negative space to good use. The Happy Chateau shows you how it’s done and we think it’ll look good in any colour at all, so pick one that suits the exterior décor scheme of your house!
13. Monogrammed wooden mat
Are you a big fan of more than one idea on this list and you’re having trouble choosing between a few options? Then how about blending them together to create something really unique instead? We love the way The Accent Piece used both long wooden blocks and stencilled monogramming to make an adorable mat that really gives your porch a homey feel.
14. Stone and chalk welcome mat
Do you already have a stone slat right at the step before your front door that you like the look of but feel kind of bored with? You could cover it up, but you could also take the super easy and affordable route and draw chalk designs that mimic a welcome mat, just like Shelterness did here. Do you love this look but you don’t have the stone already in place? Well, they’ll show you how to add one!
15. Easy Hello welcome mat
Just in case you’re still enamoured with the idea of stenciling but you can’t quite decide what kind of fonts or lettering you’re interested in, here’s a simple may design in a classic bill posting style from Fashion Lush. Their tutorial comes with a range of tips and tricks to make your crafting process as easy and hassle free as possible!
Do you know someone who just moved into a new place and could use a brand new welcome mat for their place, but they’re having trouble deciding on what to make? Share this post with them for a little bit of inspiration!