This old, worn out rug was left at our house by the previous owners. I’d been meaning to pick up a new one but just hadn’t gotten around to it. The list of things that I need to get for this house is incredibly long. For example, light fixtures…I still need to pick out new light fixtures for every room in the house. One thing at a time, Pamela. One thing at a time.

Anyway, I was waking around outside, thinking about Halloween/fall decor one morning, and I decided that I should give this old rug one last ride before tossing it out. I decided to add a little paint and use it as part of my Halloween decor before replacing it. I could have just bought a Halloween rug from the store, but this option gave me a chance to use something that I already had, and I won’t have to try to reuse or store a new rug until next year.

I used simple craft paint for this project because it’s what I had on hand when I had the idea. This rug is under the front porch, so I don’t have to worry much about it getting wet. Also, I only needed it to last for a few weeks, so I didn’t spend too long worrying about the paint choice. If you’re going to do something similar in an area exposed to weather or want it to last longer than a couple of weeks, you’ll want to use a more durable, exterior paint.

Looking back, I should have probably painted the top and bottom portions instead of the middle where most of the feet-wiping will take place, especially since I used craft paint. However, I feel pretty confident that it’ll make it through Halloween anyway.

So there you have it….a quick and easy way to give a new life to something old. Do you have anything lying around your house that a little paint might spruce up? Even temporarily? This project took about an hour to complete. That includes the idea process and hunting up supplies. If you have an old, ugly rug lying around, you should try it!

See more Halloween decor ideas on my previous post.