FREE HELLO PUMPKIN CUT FILES and DIY Welcome Mat Tutorial

Hello Pumpkin!!! Gosh it’s been way too long since I have posted on here. We have been adjusting to life with covid-19 restrictions and precautions, homeschooling, living on the road and making some awesome business changes. This week starts the beginning of a new chapter for our business and our blog. We will now be bringing you weekly freebies, DIY craft tutorials and crafting business advice. We hope to help you build your little crafting empire by sharing some of our tips and tricks we have learned along the way.

Things are finally getting a little bit back to normal for our family just in time for my favorite season…Fall. I love the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, fall crafts, and, of course, all things pumpkin spice.

I also love decorating for the seasons and holidays. When I can combine my love of crafting with my love of decorating, I feel all warm and fuzzy…don’t you. A cute rug is one of my favorite items to change out.

Now that we are traveling and living in our camper, I can’t have quite as many, but we still have one at the bottom of our camper stairs. It just puts a smile on my face and makes the outside of our home feel a little more festive. I especially love these coir mats because they hold up well and really help keep the dirt outside.

Instead of buying a seasonal rug this fall, try making your own. It’s easier than you may think. Once you make one, you may just want to keep making them.

They do make great house warming gifts and are selling like crazy online. Think about adding them to your Etsy shop. You can easily charge $35 or more. Think about adding personalization options like family name or a custom quote.

How To Make Your Own Doormat

Materials:

• Blank coir doormat – Ikea is my favorite place to buy these. They have two sizes and have the best prices. I have also seen them at Home Depot, Target and Amazon.
• Stencil Material – Stencil Vinyl (Oramask 813 is my preference), removable vinyl or freezer paper
• Transfer Tape (Optional) – A light grip tape is best so that the vinyl releases easily.
• Paint – Acrylic Paint, exterior house paint or Flex Seal rubber spray
• Sponge brush or stencil brush if you’re not using spray pain
• Sealer – Flex Seal clear spray, Kyrlon UV Resistant clear sealer or Spar Urethane
• Painter’s Tape
• SVG Design
• Optional materials that may be helpful include pins (to hold small pieces in place), board the size of mat to put under while working, iron or EasyPress for freezer paper

Step 1: DOWNLOAD YOUR DESIGN

Download your FREE Hello Pumpkin cut file at the end of this post. Extract your zip folder and upload the correct file for your cutting machine software. I have included 4 different versions in the same file. Hide the designs your are not using and move onto step 2.

Step 2: CUT YOUR DESIGN

Size your design according to the size you would like for the mat you are using and cut it out. Remember to make your design smaller if you are adding a border like mine. If using freezer paper, cut with the shiny side down on “Copy Paper” with more pressure setting. Weed your design.

Step 3: APPLY YOUR STENCIL

If you want a border like mine, simply measure and use the painters tape to create a border the size you would like.

Vinyl Stencil:

You can use transfer tape or place by hand. I have done it both ways and it really depends on the design, size and personal preference.

• Measure transfer tape and place sticky side up on flat surface.
• Place vinyl stencil onto the transfer tape.
• Turn over and rub the transfer tape to make sure the stencil sticks to the tape.
• Peel backing off of stencil.
• Place your stencil on your mat and rub to make sure the vinyl sticks to the mat.
• Slowly peel the transfer tape back while applying pressure to the stencil.
• Once the transfer tape is removed, press the vinyl into the mat to ensure all of the edges are sticking well so that you get crisp line.

Freezer Paper:

• Place freezer paper on the mat.
• Use painters tape to on the ends to hold in place.
• Use an iron or EasyPress over the freezer paper for it stick to the mat.
• Use pins to hold small pieces and edges in place as needed.

Tip: There are some great Youtube videos on how to place stencils. I really like Jennifer Maker’s tutorials.

Step 4: PAINT YOUR MAT

Using the paint of your choice, apply the paint. Remember to go slow and do thin layers making sure the paint is dry in-between each coat of paint. I used two coats of paint and find the Flex Seal paint dries the fastest.

TIP: Be sure to protect exposed areas with painter’s tape to prevent spray splatter.

After you are satisfied with how your paint looks, carefully remove the stencil. Let the mat air dry until the paint is completely dry.

TIP: I like to remove my stencil with the paint still tacky.

Step 5: SEAL YOUR MAT

This step is optional, but is highly recommended to help your door mat last longer, especially if your mat will be outside. Make sure to wait until the paint is completely dry before sealing (usually about 24 hours).

Step 6: ENJOY YOUR NEW MAT

Allow your sealed mat to air dry for 48 hours, put it on your porch and enjoy! Don’t forget to take a picture and let me know how it turned out!

Hello Pumpkin Cut Files – SVG – PNG – DXF – EPS

Click to download: Hello Pumpkin Cut Files

We hope you enjoy your freebie. You can pay it forward and help us bring you more freebies and special deals. FOLLOW us on Facebook, FOLLOW us on Instagram, and lastly if you can, please PIN one of the images above.

Thank you so much for your support. Don’t forget to tag me @serendipityandsmiles, I love seeing your creative uses of my designs.

Visit our digital design Etsy Shop for more cut files.

Visit our personalized products made just for you here.

Quick note about our files…you know the fun legal stuff:

♥ >>> DISCLAIMERS <<< ♥

If my files do NOT work with your compatible software, please message me and I will be more than happy to assist you in fixing this issue!

We regularly check our designs for existing trademarks, however, please research your text and design trademarks if you chose to use our designs for profit. In the event of a dispute over your products and the trademark holder, Serendipity and Smiles will not be held responsible, as we do not delegate which products the purchaser uses the purchased design on, for sale or profit. In other words, if there is a current trademark valid specifically on shirts that say, “I love cats,’ it is not recommended to use an “I love cat” design from Serendipity and Smiles on your shirts to sell for profit.

♥ >>> TERMS OF USE <<< ♥

You are allowed to use any files purchased in my shop for both personal and small business commercial use. You are allowed to use the files as they are or modify them to create finished physical products such as t-shirts, mugs, stationary, cards, wood signs, etc. You may also sell sublimation transfers, waterslide transfers, print transfers and decals.

♥ >>> RESTRICTIONS <<< ♥
You may NOT make my images available for digital download, resell or redistribute them as is or modified, in digital form. You can NOT upload files or elements from them on “print-on-demand” web sites. You can NOT add your design to mine and sell the digital file.