DIY Faux Hide Rug October 6, 2014 | Hi friends! I have a fun DIY project that I can’t wait to share with you. See, our formal living/dining room combination has proven to be one of the hardest spaces in our home to decorate. It’s big and open and awkward and our existing pieces really don’t quite work. Since we know that this house is short term, we are making it work and I am desperately trying to tie the spaces together. I scored these vintage Hickory chairs at a local thrift store for $70, and I (albeit I might be the ONLY one), kinda dig the granny chic chintz fabric that they are currently upholstered in. One day they shall get a makeover, but for now, their navy and deep pink hues will anchor the rooms. I knew that I wanted a jute rug to center the formal living room, but also knew that it would need a lighter layer on top of it to brighten things up. I’d been eyeing this Metallic Hide Rug for over a year now (remember my Christmas wish list from last year??), but the fact is that I could never justify paying the $700+ price tag. I had my mind set on it, so in true Mallory fashion, I decided to DIY it. I searched high and low (mainly online because I’d never expect a local store to carry what I was after) for a faux hide fabric with just a little “furry” texture, but not much. I kept coming up empty handed , so one day while at Hobby Lobby, I decided to just check their assortment. Sure enough, they had EXACTLY what I was looking for. I basically squealed with delight and ran to the counter to ask for 1.5 yards, please. It was under $5/yd with my coupon! I asked picked up craft paint brushes and some Martha Stewart metallic craft paint. See below for what’s next… You’ll need: Faux Hide Fabric Pencil for tracing Fabric scissors Marta Stewart metallic craft paint (I used GOLD) Craft paint brushes **If you want more of a splatter, you can fill the cap of the metallic spray paint (pictured above) and splatter onto fabric. How I Did It: Laid out fabric over my existing rug to see how big I wanted it to be Traced a rough sketch of the shape that I wanted onto the fabric with a pencil. I had the inspiration rug up on my phone for reference. Cut the outline Next, with the inspiration photo still up, I started painting. It was all free hand and definitely not perfect, but my thought was that neither are hides. This process did take a while (about 4 hours total, which is alot for me AKA the worlds most impatient DIY blogger) and I used nearly 4 tubes of metallic paint. **Make sure to paint with the grain of the fabric and not against it The project came in right under $20 and I am obsessed with my new rug. It’s the perfect amount of brightness at the center of the room to draw the eye in and eventually up to the console. On a scale of 1-10 I’d say this project was about a 5 (only because of the painting time and patience), but well worth the $700 that I saved! If you’re in the market, you should absolutely try this…if not…I have all of the sources (or similar items) listed below to make shopping easier. Happy Tuesday! Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says October 7, 2014 at 12:56 PM beautiful, mallory! i love it with the natural rug and with your gorgeous coffee table!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says October 7, 2014 at 1:34 PM Fantastic, Mallory! I've seen the done with a dropcloth, but I really like your faux hide fabric option! And, can I just say how much I LOVE those chairs??? Looking for some myself for my master! Your living room is so pretty!
Kristen {Miss Southern} says October 7, 2014 at 7:33 PM It look so so awesome, good job girl!!!! I'm definitely going to have to check out that fabric for a bench I'm redoing!
Julia Konya says October 7, 2014 at 10:01 PM Looks amazing layered in with the decor. Such a great project
Dee says October 7, 2014 at 11:42 PM I am so in love with that project. Your rug looks absolutely fabulous and it goes perfectly with the rest of your décor. One of these days, I'm going to have to try that… 🙂
