DIY Project: Painted Rug - Part 2

I finally finished my painted rug project this weekend, painting in little spurts in between cooking and preparing for our Superbowl Party. Luckily, it did not take very long, and only needed one coat. My friend Cate over at Show My Face suggested over Twitter that I cover the tape with white paint first, in case the paint leaks under the tape. Unfortunately, I didn't not have enough white paint left, and I didn't have time to go and get any more, so I had to skip that step. If I ever make another rug, I will definitely get enough paint for that, to get those crisp tape lines, especially if it has as much texture as this one.

I painted the rug in 4 different, coordinating colors to create an ombre effect. I chose a teal that matches one of the garden stools I use as side tables in the outdoor room, and then added 3 successively lighter shades. The colors really remind of me of the color of the water in the tropics.

To create the ombre effect I was looking for, I just estimated the distance, dividing the rug in 4 pretty-much-equal parts (if you look closely, you can see the blue tape I used to mark each strip), & then I painted each strip a different color, from light to dark. I didn't tape each 1/4, instead I just brought the roller up to the line of the previous color, and just slightly overlapped the darker shade, which created a very nice blended transition.

Looking up close, I really liked the effect of the shiny painted tape against the flat paint, and it gave me a great idea for another project.

Photo edited using Instagram.

As soon as I was done painting, I was itching with impatience. I could not wait to remove the tape and finally see my finished rug! With no small amount of effort, I waited until the paint had dried, so I could see if I needed to add another coat of paint. But it looked good, so I didn't bother with a second coat. I just ripped the tape off. And here it my brand new rug:

Taaa-daaa!

Not bad, especially considering that I had no clue what I was doing. Now I just need to remove some of the paint splatters, and hubby is going to fix that broken board on the patio. Then I am finally ready for spring & summer. I can't wait to finally, finally have my outdoor room back together!