How To Make Floorcloths Using The Original Method

There is a modern way to make a floorcloth and grandma’s old-fashioned way to create one. The old way takes longer, but will give you a truer sense of what it took to create these colorful, folk art masterpieces.

Using this method to make a floorcloth requires a good heavy-duty canvas. In my grandmother's day, the canvas from the threshing machine was salvaged for rug backings and floorcloth making. There was always plenty of usable canvas sections, and like most of our ancestors, she recycled and used most everything to create something else. The thick canvas was cut so that there would be at least a good five to six inches of border. The canvas needed to be pulled tight over a wooden frame and tacked in place. The next step was to prepare the canvas for the painting.

Today we have the opportunity to use a lot of different paints and sealers that dry quickly. This was no so for those who originated the floorcloths. Most of the paints were oil based and the canvas sealer was linseed oil. The canvas must have a good application of linseed oil. Once the canvas was saturated with the oil, it would need to be placed to dry. This often took several days unless placed into the sun, and even then, it might take up to a solid week. When the linseed oil had dried on the canvas it became very stiff, but it was now ready for the artist to paint the chosen design onto the canvas. Once the painting was completed, the paints needed to dry to combat paint smear. If the paints were not completely dried, the varnish would react with the paints and distort the painting. Each application of the varnish took a few days to dry, and the minimum layers of varnish were normally three.  Give each layer adaquet time to dry and add enough layers to coat your artistic work and the canvas fibers from wearing to quickly.  I leave mine rest for about a month prior to using.  It may appear dry, but has not yet gone through the seasoning process, which does take longer. 

When sure all layers are dry, use a razor sharp cutting tool to cut the rug from the frame. A skilled floorcloth maker often left the edges without a hem. The varnish sealed the edges from raveling just fine. If you wish a hem, then be sure to cut the canvas back far enough so there is no varnish. Turn the fabric and hem it.  A sewing machine will not work easily as your rug is quite stiff and now hard to handle. You may need to do this by hand.

If you wish to try this method of creating a floorcloth project, a small placemat size, or mat will take a lot less time. You might even consider using stencils for a test run on modern versus the old-fashioned way to make a floorcloth project.