If you're looking to dress up a tired floor and you want to try a DIY project that won't take up too much of your time, why not paint a floorcloth? Floorcloths can be placed on any hard surface floor and have been used in American homes since the mid 17th century. Floorcloths originated in France in the 14th century. Early American settlers used worn sails from ships to cover their floors since finances were small and resources were limited.

Today, most floorcloths are painted on canvas, either by hand or with stencils. Many floorcloth artists get their ideas from  nature, flowers, pictures from magazines, or just about anything that inspires the mind. With the invention of linoleum in the 1900's, floorcloths almost disappeared until the 1960's when they reappeared as a form of art. Floorcloths make wonderful gifts and keepsakes especially when designed for a babies birth or a wedding date. Whatever the reason, floorcloths are a big hit here in America because you can make these yourself very inexpensively.  You can use either stencils or paint your floorcloths freehand. To protect your work of art you should use at least three coats of a special sealer that is made especially for floorcloths however, many recommend polyurethane too. Floorcloths are very durable and if cared for properly will last you a long time. Many are used in front of a kitchen sink or the stove, in a hallway or laid to rest in front of an entry door. Floorcloths can be painted to go with any decor and are a great way to dress up a room.

To make your own floorcloth you will need...

*Any size canvas floorcloth you desire, pre-primed, you can purchase the material online, 18 oz minimum weight recommended, anything lighter will not lie flat.
*Flat exterior paint
*Yardstick
*White polyester thread and heavy duty needle
*Latex or acrylic paints
*Non-Yellowing polyuerthane clear coat or special floorcloth clear coat
*Stencils-if desired
*White glue
*Pencil
*Synthetic paint brush
*Sharp scissors
*Various size artist paintbrushes
*Non-slip backing for the floorcloth


To prepare your canvas before painting, use a flat exterior paint and paint the whole canvas. When your canvas is dry, you may need to straighten the edges. Use a yardstick to do this and mark 1/2 inch from the edge on all four sides then cut along the mark. To keep the edges from fraying run a bead of white glue around the edges of your canvas. it is also recommended to paint several coats of polyeurothane on the back side to prevent bleading through when painting.

Choose a background color and paint your entire canvas, let dry. Whatever design you choose, start drawing. If you can get your hands on an over head projector, you can tape your canvas to the wall and transfer your design to canvas. If you've found a design you like on the Internet, blow it up on a copy machine and with traceable paper, trace your design then transfer it on your canvas. You may want to stick with a more traditional design of diamonds or squares and if so, use painters blue tape to tape off your designs. Make sure you press the edges of your tape so that the colors won't run and you get nice sharp edges.

Once you've finished your design and it has completely dried, take a damp sponge anf wipe your canvas down to remove any dust. You will then want to cover your work of art with polyurethane, using a clean brush, start at one side and with long smooth strokes work your way to the other side. Do this at least twice but three times is recommended and let sealer dry in between coats. You will also want to buy some non-slip backing to sew on the bottom of your floorcloth so it stays put and nobody slips and falls.  Once everything is dry and your backing is sewn on your floorcloth, it is ready to be placed on the floor and enjoyed.

If you're looking for stencils, here are a couple of websites to check out.

http://www.primitivestenciling.com/1200.htm
http://www.safetycompany.com/floor-marking-stencils-exit/p_1244.htm

Once you have mastered this technique, you might want to move on to painting a faux rug, directly on the floor. Read our article by LeeAnna Bruce on "How to Paint a Faux Rug."