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Make It Easy:  floorcloths  |
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grammagoose
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
sandy
exeter
rhode island
USA
35 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 20 2006 : 07:11:39 AM
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I did start a new topic and put it in the reading room! Not too good with high tech stuff, sorry! But I will try to put it in the proper place this time! Does anyone make floorcloths and would you share instructions?
Thanks again,
SAndy |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2006 : 11:01:03 AM
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I don't mean to sound TOO naive, but what are floorcloths? Do you mean floor cleaning cloths, or rugs?
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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grammagoose
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
sandy
exeter
rhode island
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2006 : 08:12:01 AM
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Sorry! Libbie, the floor cloths I was refering to are made of canavas, painted with any desisn/stencil whatever, and covered with polyurethane. They are than places on the foor and last for years. aa cheap and practical way to decorate our homes. Hope this helps!
Sandy |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2006 : 2:20:27 PM
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Wow - they sound really neat. I don't know that I've ever seen one, and I don't have information on how to make them, but they sound like they could be lovely!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2006 : 2:49:01 PM
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Sandy,
I have made one before but I am not sure if I actually followed any directions. I bought the canvas and cut it to alittle larger than the size needed. I then primed it , painted with the background color I wanted. The design I did was an allover vine, leaf and berry design. My husband helped with the leaves, we used acrylics for this part. I then finished with 3 coats of poly. I used oil based for everything except the primer and the decor.
I think I got most of the info from a decorating show on HGTV. The one with the lady and guy fom Minnesota. |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2006 : 9:14:56 PM
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Sandy,
There are directions and patterns for these all over right now. Marianne gave the basic instructions. Only thing I might add is to paint a layer of artist gesso on your canvas to give it a nice surface to paint on (you can find this at any craft store). I'd maybe roll that on. You can use acrylic or oil paint-oil is nicer for blending colors, but does take time to dry. If you use a floating medium (also found at craft stores)it will help acrylic paints blend & dry slower. Probably the most important thing is to finish the cloth with several layers of polyurethane varnish. It is really important that you put at least one coat of high gloss varnish over the paint. This will make it durable. Whatever it is that makes it shiny is also what makes the surface hard. I know it's ugly, but you can go over the high gloss with a matte or low gloss varnish on the final coat or two to reduce the shine.
Floor cloths were really popular in colonial tims so there are a lot of neat designs out there from that time period. Maybe do a web search to see what you like. :) Good luck Sandy! Hope you'll post a picture of your finished floorcloth!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
Edited by - abbasgurl on Feb 23 2006 9:16:04 PM |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 8:30:52 PM
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I hope this isn't inappropriate to mention this here, but Martha Stewart has instructions on her site for making canvas rugs right now. I'd also suggest getting pre-primed canvas. It will cost a little more, but you would have to pay extra for the gesso anyway and I believe you'll end up with a flatter, smoother floor cloth. I'd like to put one in my kitchen, but I have so many projects still to do that I'm resisting adding anymore supplies for projects I can't get to.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 9:13:25 PM
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Hey! I'm having one of those lightbulb, need to say it outloud moments! I have an UGLY staircase and not a big budget right now for beautifying my house. I was thinking of finding someone to make a rag rug runner to help hide it but I think that would probably be expensive (does anyone know?). Would a painted canvas runner work on stairs or might it be too slippery?
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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sugarsfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Leah
Woodward
Iowa
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 9:47:16 PM
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Im not really sure what the surface would be like since ive never actually stepped on one before, but i saw a kit for floor rugs at Michaels today and I thought of all you ladies on this forum. AND they came in differnt colored canvas, i thought they were very neat and i plan on making some when i move to a bigger house. But laura i think the stair runner is a great idea!
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 11:30:35 AM
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Well I've made a couple of floors cloths. Not many instruction though. You need canvas and acrylic paint. I can try to ask any question you have though.
Laura they're a little slippery, may not be the greatest thing for steps.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com
www.smallsqrl.blogspot.com
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Mountain Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
806 Posts
JoAnn
Colville
Washington
USA
806 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 12:03:47 PM
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Couple times of television I saw them making floor cloths using scraps of vinyl linoleum. It was so easy, you use the BACK of the linoleum, prime it, paint and put your design on it and then coat with a couple of coats of poly. This way you don't have to hem the edges just cut to size.
I've always been called a dreamer, but I never listened. I did what others dare not do--lived my dream while they watched. Unknown |
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JennyWren
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2006 : 4:40:55 PM
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I was thinking couldn't you put some non skid rug tape on the backside to keep it from being slippery? I love the idea.. but can envision myself flying through the air. (I am a total klutz)
How are the floor cloths as far as keeping them clean? I think something like this would look great in a bedroom, but in my kitchen.. I think it wouldn't last too long. My kitchen seems to be the hub of the entire house, with so much traffic I think I would ruin it. :( Unless there is something that could be put on it so it would withstand near daily washing. ???
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2006 : 10:06:46 PM
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I think a floorcloth would be too slippery on a stairway. In our old farmhouse we had a wood stairway that I stripped the ugly varnish off & then painted a neat "runner" down the middle. You could also paint the "kick" a neat color and stencil something cool on it. Would that be a solution?
The Pre-primed canvas is an excellent idea too!
Not sure if you have priced rag rugs or runners, or if you have a friend who weaves. I'm a weaver...we used to sell runners by the inch and they got pretty pricey. I know, something made of RAGS, seems crazy! 
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 05:41:53 AM
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i'm with rhonda .. i wouldn't put a canvas floorcloth on a stairway ... might be hazardous. i have made them .. but it wasn't all that much fun .. just got a book on them and want to try it again though! they can be BEAUTIFUL!
True Friends, Frannie |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9093 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9093 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 07:54:23 AM
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I would go with the painted stairway, I have seen them and thay can look really nice, after you paint them just put a sealer on.
NANCY JO |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 08:19:25 AM
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Just paint the stairway? Or use the cloth? I suppose I could paint the stairway to look like it has a runner on it. That could be a fun project.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 08:28:35 AM
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We have a painted stairway that I LOVE - one thing that has helped, because our stairway is over 100 years old and STEEP, is that we purchased some pumice/sand to put in the paint that is on the actual area that you step on on each stair. This makes cleaning them a little bit of a challenge, but they are much less slippery. I have still taken a good fall on them and it hurts WAY more than a fall on carpeted stairs, but I do love how they look and feel. Because of that fall, however, I can strongly recommend putting some sort of texture on the actual stepping "places."
Ours are just painted plain, to match the walls, but painting a runner on them would be so cute! What a great project! My mom painted a "rug" on her outdoor porch and it's just darling. It really looks great...
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 12:36:02 PM
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I would think it would work to use canvas if you use those little brass holders.
I'd never heard of canvas flooring, but once I went with my daughter to tour a historic home in her town. Breathtaking turn of the century three story home, and they had this kind of flooring in the children's summer bedroom. It was so awesome; the room was screened on three sides, and had this floor, and three small beds in it. The restoration of this home has been exceptional. The family contributed back much of the old furniture that was there when it was at the height of it's glory.
You can 'tour' the house too, if you like a little eye candy. http://www.ellwoodhouse.org/ |
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Duchess
True Blue Farmgirl
109 Posts
Iowa
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2006 : 09:49:34 AM
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Hi Jenny, I am thinking that the surface you walk on will be slippery and that would be the danger. quote:
Originally posted by JennyWren
I was thinking couldn't you put some non skid rug tape on the backside to keep it from being slippery? I love the idea.. but can envision myself flying through the air. (I am a total klutz)
How are the floor cloths as far as keeping them clean? I think something like this would look great in a bedroom, but in my kitchen.. I think it wouldn't last too long. My kitchen seems to be the hub of the entire house, with so much traffic I think I would ruin it. :( Unless there is something that could be put on it so it would withstand near daily washing. ???
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/
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Duchess
True Blue Farmgirl
109 Posts
Iowa
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2006 : 10:15:19 AM
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| I just googled floor cloths and canvas rugs and found tons of ideas. The first one was from the Matha Stewart site and she has detailed instructions and pictures. There were also some sites that gave the history of the floor cloth. Very interesting and I think I have a new project (just what I need,lol) |
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Alaska farm girl
True Blue Farmgirl
123 Posts
dorothy
skagway
Alaska
USA
123 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2006 : 9:45:08 PM
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www.dickblick.com(an artists supply catalog has a book on making floorcloths.I know you can get paint with sand in it,maybe you can use that as a way to keep the stairs from getting too slippery.
I had the library here order it and people have gotten on interlibrary loan.I do know you need to buy the heavy cotton canvas and prime it first with something called gesso. |
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sugarsfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Leah
Woodward
Iowa
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2006 : 10:36:19 PM
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gesso is a glue usually made of materials like plaster or chalk. Its for making the canvas smooth so it wont show the texture of the canvas. It also makes it easier to paint on. You can actually make your own gesso, im sure there are intructions on the internet somewhere. Its really easy to find though, wherever there is painting supplies, like at Hobby Lobby. I hope this helps!
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
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Phils Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
1095 Posts
Ann
Parsonsburg
Maryland
USA
1095 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 09:03:16 AM
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Carla, I made a couple of floor cloths which are in my kitchen. I tried using non-skid material that you squeeze on (from Michaels) and it caused a wear pattern to form along the top wherever the material was squeezed. This happened within a week. The same thing would happen with the tape- you'll always have a worn strip there. My solution was to buy very flat rug pads-- the vinyl type--dime store stuff, and cut them to fit. There is still a bit of slipping, but not to the point of danger. However, I agree with the advice above that it would be really dangerous on a stairway. The polyurethane does an excellent job of waterproofing. They're easily cleaned with paper towels or rags. I clean them with a sponge whenever I clean the wooden floor underneath them, and lots of quick times inbetween, usually with windex, as it's close at hand. Soapsuds from the sink works well, also! Gradually there is a wearing of the surface, and the experts advise to add more polyurethane. Personally, I like the old look, so haven't worried about it.
Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
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OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2006 : 9:07:07 PM
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Mother Earth News has an article "Make Colorful Rugs" - Enjoy beautiful, easy-to-make floorcloths in
the June/July 2006 issue....if you are interested.
"...a merry heart does good like a medicine, it has the power to cure." |
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Georgia
True Blue Farmgirl
92 Posts
Angie
ballwin
mo
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2006 : 08:58:31 AM
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I've seen the floorclothes made from scrap vinyl flooring and they were beautify. No heming and you can cut them into many shapes to fit in difficult spaces. You just paint with water based paints on the back side and seal them with poly. It's a great way to use left over pieces.
dreamer |
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Make It Easy: floorcloths |
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floorcloths
