Wipe Your Feet Here (DIY doormat)

Today I was feeling extra motivated and completed a few crafts and this DIY mat.  I love looking at DIY projects but they are not all created equal. I promise you this one is pretty easy and cheap!

I picked up everything from dollartree. This doormat cost me $4.  I do not sew hek maybe I can't sew so this mat is glued together.  So technically if you did sew it would be even less.

Gather your supplies.

     

Choose your mat.  I picked one without ridges so the leaf would adhere to it easier.

        

  In my store there were only two patterns to choose from.  Leaf it is which is fine for the whole fall season.

                    

  Next like I said I do not sew so I needed some strong adhesive.  I already knew how I was going to use the mat so consider that when you decided what you need.  I used glue dots and a sticky all purpose sticky glue.  The glue is sold in a 3 pack along with the glue dots in the craft section.

  I applied glue dots sporadically along the perimeter of the leaf.

  I then used the glue along the whole outline of the leaf.

I thought of placement prior to the glue application.  Did in want it off center, diagonal or in the center.  Since I was not adding anything else to it including words I just placed it in the middle.

  This is a very thin door mat.  It could be used outside or inside but this is not weather resistant.  I'm not sure it would even be vacuum resistant.   It would be great in the kitchen as long as you don't need the extra support.  Place it in front of a fireplace or bookshelf. I have actually put mine in front of my child's door.

  I am very pleased with the appearance.  That I didn't have to sew it and it looks nice.  At this point I am wondering how many rugs do I need.  These will be easy to put in storage on the off seasons so why not a few more.

Playing with Leaves

  We had some downtime this week and through in some different leave art.  I enjoy using nature in art projects and the kids are amazed that it's even possible.

  We collected leaves and continue to collect them randomly for projects.

  I started with introducing my daughter to shading the leaf.

  She thought this activity was neat.  We had went outside and collected three different leaves.  Different sizes and shapes are the best!  I then showed her how to hold the crayon and shade over the leaf in order to get the best result.  After that it got better when we used several colors to shade one leaf versus one color.

  Next we taped a leaf to the window and she traced it.  This opened up new opportunities to her because she understands we are using the light from the other side to allow us to trace.  She is ready to trace everything now.

  Lastly I saw this activity on Pinterest.  Using coffee filters we drew leaves and cut them out.  Then dropped paint on the leaves allowing the colors to blend then dry and that's it.  We used food coloring which gave it the same effect I believe just a little messier.  Because of the filter the paints blend nicely and it looks so close to a real leaf.

  

The kids enjoyed their leaf play day.  I can't wait to do it again and am patiently waiting for some leave changes!