Looking for a fun and functional Cricut project? Learn how to make your own personalised novelty doormat using permanent vinyl and Leak Seal spray for crisp, professional results. Custom doormats are trending in a big way this year, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you want to welcome guests with humour, show off your family name, or gift something unique, these doormats are endlessly customisable and a total crowd-pleaser.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to make your own novelty doormat using a Cricut machine – without paint bleeding, stencil slipping, or wasted materials. I’ve tested a few methods, and this one works every time.

Before we dive into this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to my bimonthly newsletter to be the first to see my latest projects.  You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook, where I also include my unique mixed-media art projects

How to make a novelty doormat using a Cricut

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on links used at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.**

Materials You’ll Need

• Cricut Explore Air 2 or Silhouette Cameo
• Permanent vinyl (Oracle 651 recommended)
• Transfer tape (lightly used works best)
• Coir doormat (mine was 600mm x 350mm)
• Large cutting mat (optional but handy)
• Leak Seal spray (black or your chosen colour)
• Painter’s tape
• Scraper tool or old store card
• Tweezers and gloves
• Hairdryer (for helping vinyl stick to coir)
• X-Acto knife (for small detail pieces)

Step 1: Design Your Doormat Stencil in Cricut Design Space

Open Design Space and type the text you want on your mat. You can use fun fonts, add a quirky quote, or go with something simple like your surname.

If you’re using a standard-sized cutting mat, rotate your design vertically and divide it into two sections. Group and attach the text in each section, so they cut exactly how you want them to appear. For reference, I sized my final design at 520mm x 270mm to fit my $6 coir doormat from a local budget store.

Step 2: Cut Your Vinyl and Make the Stencil

Don’t make the same mistake I did—avoid cheap vinyl! It won’t stick to the coir fibres, and your stencil will shift.

Use Oracle 651 permanent vinyl for best results. Cut your design into two halves if needed.

Weed out the letters, leaving a stencil behind.

Trim and tape the two halves together to create one large stencil.

Step 3: Transfer the Vinyl Stencil to the Doormat

The rough coir surface can make this step tricky, but it’s doable.

1. Apply transfer tape to your vinyl stencil and burnish it well with a scraper.
2. Use lightly used transfer tape so it’s not too sticky.
3. Tape one end of the vinyl stencil to the mat with painter’s tape to hold it in place.

1. Slowly peel the transfer tape back against itself to release the vinyl.
2. Use an X-Acto knife to help place small pieces (like the centres of letters).
3. Gently warm the vinyl with a hairdryer, then press it down to stick to the mat.

Step 4: Spray with Leak Seal for a Crisp Finish

This is the magic step that prevents paint bleeding and gives you clean, bold letters.

Tip: Always do this outdoors in a well-ventilated space!

1. Mask off any exposed areas around your design with painter’s tape.
2. Shake the Leak Seal spray well.

Lightly spray over the entire stencil, ensuring full coverage.

Remove the vinyl stencil immediately – don’t wait for it to dry!

Use tweezers to remove small letter centres and wear gloves to avoid a mess.

All Done!

It took me about an hour to make my doormat, mostly because I didn’t have the large cutting mat. With the right setup, it could be even quicker.

The result? A durable, personalised doormat with crisp lettering that looks professionally made!

More Cricut project ideas

This porch sign was made using a recycled cheese board and upcycled into a charming welcome sign.

This functional kitchen sign was made from a panel salvaged from a piano project and upcycled into a multi-purpose organiser featuring a chalkboard to-do list, key hooks, and a hat rack.

If you’d like to find any of the items used in this project, we’d greatly appreciate it if you used our affiliate links. These links provide us with a small commission at no extra cost to you, allowing us to continue creating and sharing more inspiring projects. We’d also love to hear your thoughts—feel free to leave a comment or share this post!