This methods walkthrough stays in the order the work happens.
Hello Bekob! Michelle here from 4men1lady and today I’m back with an straightforward and functional project that is well fitted now that the weather is warming up. We live in a very traditional rambler built in the 70’s. It’s a well fitted family home but I’ve always dreamed of living in an ultra modern house. I’m always looking for small and tasteful ways to bring in a touch of modern.
Last year I made a modern house number plaque from some free paint stir sticks that I simply stained and attached to a board. See complete instruction on my blog.
Handmade Wood Stake Door Mat walkthrough
Please note: this mat is best used during the summer, as it may become icy during the winter.
This year I made a modern door mat from a box of wooden stakes I picked up from Home Depot. It was one of the easiest projects I’ve done to date and cost under $15.00.
The supplies you’ll need for this project are stain (optional), some wood stakes (found at Home Depot), sisal rope (I used 1/4 inch) and some Hex Nuts (size 3/8 inch).
The first step consists of cutting all the points off the stakes. You can use a hand saw (if you’re a glutton for punishment) but a chop saw will get all your cutting done in less than 5 minutes. After your stakes are cut make sure and give each stake a good sanding so you don’t get slivers in your little toesies.
I opted to stain my wood for a more modern look but this step is totally optional.
I began painting on the stain with a paint brush but it was time consuming and turned out much darker than I wanted. Instead, I just took an old rag, dipped it in the stain and rubbed the stain directly on the wood. This allowed me to have better control of the amount and shade of the stain.
After the stain had dried I measured and drilled two holes in to the sides of each stake. Don’t forget to give everything another sanding to remove any splinters or rough edges. (Don’t do like I did and drill over concrete on your knees. Bad, bad, bad carpentry modeling example).
Once all your holes are drilled you can now thread your rope through each stake making sure to add a nut between each stake. If you put some tape around the end of your rope it won’t fray and makes it much easier to feed through each hole. When you’ve threaded all your stakes, tie a tight knot at the last stake to hold everything together.
There you have it…your own Handmade Wood Mat that looks great and keeps the dirt and sand out of your home (well, almost all of it).
To see more great projects visit our blog 4men1lady.
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Add more appeal to your porch with a cement planter (walkthrough here from Michelle) or one of these 10 ways to make your porch more welcoming.
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—————Update 4/13/2016—————
look at what this reader made using Michelle’s walkthrough:
Looks fantastic! Our reader shared some useful info about purchasing wood for the mat, as well:
“I had a hard time finding wood at Home Depot that was thick enough to allow me to drill holes in the side. I explained to one of the associates what I was making and he suggested rails (the vertical posts on a wood railing), just plain ones. They were 4 feet long, so I bought 8 of them and had them cut in the store. It really came out nice. Thank you so much for this walkthrough. I love it, too!!!!!!!!!!”
Thank YOU for sharing your project!
