Who Knew? How To..Renew your outdoor rugs

Do you have any outdoor rugs on your deck or patio? They're lovely aren't they? Well, until the summer sun fades them, or they get a run and unravel, or they mold during the summer (or winter, if not stored properly), or they wear down to yucky, nubby ugliness. Well, even with all of that, I do love outdoor rugs. They cozy up our outdoor spaces and turn them into outdoor living rooms.


But, purchasing new rugs every year is hardly budget friendly. I know, I've done it a couple of times and feel guilty about it each time. So, this year I decided to spruce up my outdoor rugs and get another year, or two, of use out of them. 


I bought these rugs at Target last spring (Trudie did not come with the purchase). They replaced some rugs I had purchased from a catalog that had unravelled and faded the prior summer. These Target rugs were nice, soft on our feet, were less expensive than the catalog rugs, and came in a nice red that complemented our chair pads. However, they too faded in the summer sun.

So instead of pitching them, I thought I would try painting them. Why not? I was thinking about biting the bullet and buying new rugs anyway. If I ruined them I would just, sigh, buy new rugs again. And if it worked, I would be crowned the household genius. 

We got some red outdoor paint. I really didn't know what would be best, but hoped this would suffice. 

Our large rug was the easiest, in that I only had to tape off the inner portion of the rug and then paint in a straight line. I painted on two coats, allowing for the first coat to dry before applying the second coat.

After the second coat had dried I used this polyurethane spray to seal the paint.

And here's a look at my finished large rug.

It's so much better! It has been out on the porch for two weeks. In soaking rain and scorching hot sun. 

This rug is still a work in progress. Lots of small detail that I am painting with a very small paint brush. I keep telling myself it will be worth it when it's done. Just look how much better the painted portion is compared to the faded side. Yes, looking at this does keep me motivated.

In the end, I know these rugs will make it through the summer looking fresh and practically new. And hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be able to store them away, again, for next year!

Cares