Tools and Materials
Primed canvas
Board
Staple gun
Paint, for base and for the faux bois design
Paintbrush
Glazing liquid
Wood graining tools
Clear, semigloss polyacrylic finish
Rotary cutter

Making Dog Place Mat How-To
1. Cut a 18-by-24-inch piece of primed canvas. Place it, primed-side down, over a board cut to a slightly smaller size. Fasten it to the board with a staple gun. Turn over the board, and paint it with two coats of base paint; we chose Martha Stewart Signature Shore paint. Allow to dry.

2. For faux bois, mix equal parts of paint and glazing liquid. We used Martha Stewart Signature Horsehair paint. On the canvas side, apply a thin coat of the mixed paint. Using a wood graining tool, start at the short end of the canvas and drag the tool through the paint, along the entire length with a slight rocking motion. Repeat. Clean off the tool with a damp rag after each pass. Continue in this manner, overlapping slightly, until the whole canvas is has a wood-grained appearance. If you make an error, use your paintbrush to "erase" the design and do it again. Allow to dry for at least two hours.

3. Apply two coats of finish, and allow to dry. Trim the edges with a rotary cutter.