DIY Chevron Rug (painted and oh so cheap)

It seems as if the Chevron pattern is here to stay, which I don't mind a bit because just looking at it makes me smile.  That's why when I came across this DIY idea, I had to try it for my dining room!  I actually had to try it twice (oops) because my first experiment didn't come out as well as I had hoped (the paint ran under the tape), and I am too much of a perfectionist to settle.  So I had a go at it again, the second time I used green Frogger tape instead of the Blue Scotch brand.  (Many of my pictures were taken during my first try which is why they have blue tape, but if you decide to try this yourself, make sure you use a tape that has paint block - I recommend FROGTAPE).  Luckily, I had enough paint on hand to try it again, and all I had to do was flip the rug over for a fresh canvas.  So really, it was only an extra $10 to fix my mistake.  Oh well, we live and learn!

*I did this project over 2 days (Day 1-tape, Day 2-paint), but in total, it took me about 6 hours.  

What you need:

-White Ikea Rug - ERSLEV (6'x8') - $40.00

-Green FROGTAPE (painters tape) - I feel very strongly that you  should get this type of tape.  

-Acrylic Latex Paint in eggshell  (I got mine from the hardware store)

-Paint brush

-Cardboard

-Ruler

                                    ERSLEV Ikea rug

This was my first template.
If you look closely, you can
see the ridges in rug.  They
helped a lot with spacing.

1.  Make a pattern.

First, I made a template of the chevron pattern on a piece of cardboard, which I used when taping.  I also found it easiest to make my pattern two strips of tape wide.

2.  Tape, tape, tape!

I used a tape measure to find the middle of the rug and then I taped that line first.  The ikea rug I used has horizontal ridges where it is sewn, so it is easy to use them as a guideline to make sure your zig zags are all the same height.  That first stripe took the longest, and once that was done, the rest was cake.  Finally, I taped down the whole pattern.  It took a while, but listening to some good tunes made it go by way faster.

1st stripe down!

Half way done!

Phew!

3.  Paint, paint paint!

BUT before I painted a stripe, I used a lint brush to pick up any extra fuzzies, and then I pressed down on the tape with the handle to secure it in place.  Then I officially started painting.  I tried my best to paint in the direction away from the tape because I didn't want my bristles to go under the tape just in case it would run.  This part also takes a while.  

4.  Pull up the tape and see your beautiful rug.   Instant Gratification - my favorite part!

Even though the green frogger tape is a million times better than the blue scotch brand, it still wasn't perfect.  So if you don't mind a few (and I mean just a few) lines that aren't perfectly straight, you can end your DIY journey here.  But if you are anything like me, you may want to try touching it up.  I waited until my whole rug was dry and then I used some more tape to fix up some lines.  Doing this can slightly affect your zig zag pattern, but it is so slight (just a cm of a difference) that you can't tell.  Either way, your rug is ready to impress, and it only cost about $60.00! 

Ta Da!  I used a turquoise paint which is why it looks so much like tape.  This is my finished product # 2.  The second time I painted this rug, I had to make my pattern wider because the tape was thicker.  I actually like it more this way.