DIY Wall Art: Doormat and Repurposed Wood—Interior Design on the Cheap

Thanks to Lemon Tree Creations for this awesome idea!

So, you're thinking: Seriously? Team YOUHANGIT thinks I'm going to hang a bunch of junk on my living room wall? Yep. That's exactly what we think—but you'll have to give this DIY blog a chance.

So there's a couple of things you're going to need to make this happen so it looks super awesome and all your friends and family will ask you where you got it—or assume you picked it up at Urban Outfitters or a local college art show.

First, you'll need to find a rubber doormat that has a design with plenty of open areas so this will work. You can find these kinds of extra large doormats at your local hardware store and literally any large retail store, or on Amazon. Or, if you want to go full blown do-it-yourself and time is not a serious consideration, you can search the local thrift stores, garage sales, CraigsList.com, and so on.

Once you have found your dream doormat in a design that reflects your taste (ultra modern, midcentury modern, Baroque, Victorian, etc.) you will move on to the next step: finding your repurposed wood. Whether this is as simple as taking apart an old pallet, using wood you already have hanging around your garage or shop, or it's as hardcore as dumpster diving behind the craft store, you'll definitely find wood someone has thrown out. If you're one of the lucky ones, you might find something really stellar, like a thrown out mahogany or Douglas fir door, or maybe the parts of a wood bed frame someone tossed out.

Once you have your rubber door mat and the wood you plan to upcycle into artwork, all you need is a place you can get messy, a sander or just some sandpaper, spray paint in the color you would like the design to be in, and sawtooth hardware for both ends (in other words, you're going to need a good hands-free level when you're done because this artwork will have double sawtooth hardware backing.)

Once you've rounded up these goodies, head to your mess-making location, and start sanding off any existing finish. Depending on how rustic you want your piece to look, you could leave on some of the finish/stain or paint. Next, you'll throw down your rubber doormat where you want to create your design. Keep in mind: if you do something you don't like, you can always primer or paint over it and begin again; there's no such thing as a lost cause with homemade art.

Once you've executed your design just the way you want it, let the wood dry overnight, then you'll add sawtooth hardware on the back (as long as the piece is light enough, otherwise please refer to the PRO TIP below.)

To hang up your piece, simply find your spot on the wall, adhere a YOUHANGIT squishy thingy over the sawtooth(s), put the YOULEVEL on top of your artwork, wait until you see the bubble in the blue liquid hit the middle of the level, then SQUISH! Then you'll pull away, set your artwork down, then insert screw anchors and screws, and simply hang your artwork.

PRO TIP: For bigger pieces like the door or the bed frame, you might have really great luck behind the Goodwill or Salvation Army. If you choose to go this route, you will need to make double keyholes in the back of the completed piece due to how heavy it is. You can then use two YOUHANGITs and the YOULEVEL to hang double keyholes as seen in this YOUHANGIT how-to video.