| A floorcloth is both a work of art and a
functional floor covering. Each t.coffey
floorcloth is painstakingly hand created with hours of personal effort to give you years
of beauty and function.Once little known among home
decorators, today the floor cloth is rapidly gaining popularity as a fashionable
alternative to an area rug. Painted canvas is lightweight, durable, and economical. It
offers a simple way to add a splash of color and a pattern to any room in your home.
Floorcloths came into use in the early 1700's and retained their popularity throughout the
century. Considered a luxury item like carpets, floor cloths were often used in the most
formal rooms with the best furniture. Their durability made them suitable for heavy
traffic areas. Thomas Jefferson used one in the entrance foyer of the White House. Squares
of contrasting colors, often painted to imitate marble, were the most common pattern of
early floor cloths. You can mop them and roll them up to clean the floor beneath them.
Floorcloths must be put down over a hard surface to prevent punctures from high heeled
shoes. The use of floorcloths declined in the 19th century when linoleum was invented. |
1) Your custom design is sketched out on a cloth
based on your dimensions
 | Floorcloths are made of cotton duck canvas (canvas or sailcloth). The heavier the
better: #6 is is ideal, #8 is OK, #10 is the lightest you can use and still have the cloth
lay flat. |
| Cut three inches longer than desired. The primary shrinkage is in length. |
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| Always use water based paint, latex or acrylic. It is the most flexible and also cleans
up easily. (Do not mix paints and finishes, because they expand and contract at different
rates and this results in cracking ... use all water based or oil based together.) |
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| Apply 5 coats of semi-gloss undercoat to build a surface - lightly sand before
application of the final coat. (Allow proper drying time after all the paint
applications.) |
| Draw the design with a #2 graphite pencil (twice to insure you can see it well). Outline
the design with masking tape |
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| Draw the design with a #2 graphite pencil (twice to insure you can see it well). Outline
the design with masking tape. |
| Apply the design. You'll need two coats. (Allow proper drying time after all paint
applications.) |
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| Marbleize as desired. |
| Finish with four coats of poly-acrylic semi-gloss. |
| Cut slashed edges to create smooth edges. |
| Final note: No need to turn ends under. With all the paint, cloth will lay flat. |
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