How to Make Miniature Welcome Mats for Halloween

Step 1

Find what you want to make your miniature welcome mat out of. For this I used a grasscloth wallpaper sample from Phillip Jeffries that I had laying around. Of course, if you do not have this you can improvise. Look for something that will lay flat and has a texture that can closely mimic the real thing. Other options might include a placemat, a napkin, or a piece of scrapbook paper that has the same kind of vibe.

Once you select your material, map out the size you need for your mat. The ones I made were about 2″ x 3″. Use a size that is at least as wide as your door. Cut out the pieces and glue them on to poster board for added stability. I then placed a heavy stone sample on top to make sure it laid flat while it dried.

Step 2

Once it is completely dry, map out the slogans you want to use on your welcome mat. For this I did Witch Please and Hey Boo because I thought they were cute. I then mapped out the lettering on a separate scrap piece of paper so I could judge the letter placement. You can also sketch this out directly on the wallpaper with a pencil before you begin with paint. If you make a mistake, you can simply erase and start again.

Step 3

Once you have a basic guideline of your letters it’s time to start painting. For this I used basic black acrylic paint in a matte finish. You’ll also want to use a fine tipped paintbrush since the lettering is small, naturally.

Using a grasscloth wallpaper was helpful not only because it has great organic texture, but also because it has a linear pattern that you can use as a guide to help you keep your lettering and border straight. Mine got a bit wonky, but it still looks awesome – so don’t worry about perfection here. Just have fun!

Once your paint is dry (which will be pretty quick since it’s small and we used acrylics – hooray!), cut it out and place it in front of your doorway. Now you’re ready to welcome all the dirty little feet that will be coming to beg for candy.