DIY in a Day brings you step-by-step instructions for easy projects that will spruce up your space — within 24 hours (or less!).
There is something so timeless about a checkerboard pattern. Whether on a rug or a painted floor, black and white or color, we simply love the look. And lately, we've been seeing checkerboard rugs everywhere, from wool moroccan style to flat weave.
In our latest IKEA hack, we've turned a basic jute rug into an on-trend checkerboard painted beauty. Our simple steps below will show you how to make your own.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
Things You'll Need
Paint (we used Valspar Spring Spirits)
Step 1
Determine the checkerboard square size. We wanted a smaller scale look, so we used a 5.25 inch square. You can divide the width to determine an even number of squares. Use painters tape to create the square pattern.
Tip
To create the checkerboard pattern, cut a square from paper in the size you are working with. That makes taping off the squares on the rug so much easier! To get the checkerboard pattern you cannot just use a grid of tape—if you did that method the square corners would not match up.
Step 2
Tape the "inside" of each square. You want to corners of the 5.25 inch square to match up. You can tape each square off and trim the tape using a utility knife. (See the image below for detail.) We placed a small piece of tape in the squares that would be painted.
Step 3
Paint the checkerboard pattern using interior paint. We love this soft sage green. But use any color that best matches your decor.
Step 4
Peel the tape squares to get beautiful clean lines! Allow the rug to dry for 24 hours.
The finished product ...
