How to Create a Hand Painted Floorcloth

Floorcloths, also know as “oilcloths”, were widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries. These cloths were used as area or wall-to-wall floor coverings to protect and decorate wood floors. In modern times, floorcloths are a fantastic floor covering that’s durable, easy to clean, and easy to customize.

The ability to make and paint floorcloths adds a unique service to your creative business. Creating and painting your own floor covering allows you to custom size your project, as well as create custom shapes like ovals, circles, and more. You are able to adapt and hand paint the pattern, color, and style to complement the interior design of the space. Floorcloths do not collect dust as easily as fabric rugs and they quickly clean up with a vacuum or a damp mop, which is ideal in areas such as kitchens, dining rooms, foyers, mudrooms, and children’s rooms as well. They last for years under high traffic, withstanding wear and tear. The mats also lie flat and without bulk on wood, tile, and concrete flooring, and roll up easily for storage. Depending on your products, floorcloths can be created for both interior and exterior spaces. As many original and reproduced floorcloths are seen today in North American and European manor homes, museums or heritage sites may require knowledge of floorcloths for restoration projects. Of course, they are perfect for use in contemporary homes as well.