{"id":19200,"date":"2016-02-09T13:08:26","date_gmt":"2016-02-09T18:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=19200"},"modified":"2016-02-09T13:08:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-09T18:08:26","slug":"easy-upcycling-turn-a-rug-into-a-showpiece-with-a-stencil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/easy-upcycling-turn-a-rug-into-a-showpiece-with-a-stencil\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Upcycling: Turn a Rug into a Showpiece with a Stencil"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"upcycle<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jennifer Tuohy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Upcycling<\/a> generally means taking something that is worn out and giving it a new life by turning it into something different and useful. In this column, I\u2019m going to stretch the upcycling tag a little to something that is more like \u201cupgrading.\u201d It\u2019s still an important sustainability step, because if \u201cupgrading\u201d an object means you will use it longer, or be less likely to replace it before the end of its useful life, that\u2019s a win for the planet.<\/p>\n

My dilemma was that I wanted a new rug for my home office space<\/a>. I already had a simple rug that did its job well, but didn\u2019t \u201cinspire joy\u201d in my heart, as organizational guru Marie Kondo would say. It was a good quality, sturdy, 3 x 5 inch rug that fit the space perfectly, cost under $10 and had plenty of life left in it, so there was no way I was going to get rid of it. But what could I do to bring a little joy into my office space?<\/p>\n

It turns out my solution was as simple as a stencil. If you don\u2019t already have an area rug that fits your space and makes you happy, consider purchasing a plain, solid-color rug, then customizing it with a pattern of your own.<\/p>\n

\"old<\/a><\/p>\n

Stenciling is a great way to add some personal style to your walls, rugs or other pieces of furniture\u2014it adds a lot of bang for very few bucks. All you need is some paint, a stencil pattern and a little bit of patience, and you can create masterpieces.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

It turns out there\u2019s a stencil for everything, from traditional floral and geometric patterns to puppy dogs and balloons. If you can think of it, there\u2019s a stencil for it! Once I found the perfect pattern for my rug, I bought a stencil brush. Rather than buy new paint, I used the leftover color from the walls in my office, helping tie the \u201cnew\u201d rug into its surroundings.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a step-by-step guide to how I upgraded my office rug into a true showpiece with just a stencil and some paint.<\/p>\n

\"supplies<\/a><\/p>\n

Step One:<\/strong> Find a good place to paint, then gather your supplies:<\/p>\n