Jaime Costiglio

build - paint - sew

DIY Painted Stair Runner

Here’s a quick, easy and painless solution to makeover those stairs.  Today I’m sharing this painted stair runner I added to our basement staircase.  It’s a great solution that doesn’t involve many supplies or tools.
painted stair runner

A DIY tutorial to paint a stair runner. Give your stairs new life with a painted runner to match your style.

Is your staircase a bit tired and boring?  Are you looking to add a little style and inject your personal touch to a space?  That is exactly what I did on these basement stairs using just a bit of paint.

stripes painted on wood treads
And surprise the view from the bottom has a fun star detail to complete the stars and stripes theme.

Stars and Stripes pattern

Basement Stairs Before

I started with a typical set of wooden stairs leading down to the basement.  They had little carpet pads attached to each tread for safety however the red carpet was just not for me.

basement stairs before
And the view from the bottom was just regular old white risers (that needed to be painted anyways):
basement stairs looking up

Basement Stairs After

painted distressed stair
Now these stairs are sporting a fresh new painted stair runner.  I love the distressed feel as if it’s been there all along.  These stairs are directly off the kitchen (which was just renovated).
stars painted on risers
The view from the bottom is slightly unexpected.  The wood was already very distressed (the house is 60 years old) which made painting easy because I didn’t need to be perfect.  I wanted a rustic, rough, worn feel.
red white and blue theme
Let me show you how to create this painted stair runner.

Supplies:

small carpet on treads

Step 1:  Remove old carpet pads and staples.  Sand with 120 grit.

Step 2: Paint risers white semi-gloss (no need to paint center portion).

stripes drawn with pencil

Step 3: Using a ruler and pencil draw stripes onto steps and risers.  For all alternative method use painters tape just like my other painted runner tutorial here.

white stripes on treads

Step 4: Using a small paint brush I started with the white stripes on the edges.

first coat blue paint
Then paint in the red and blue sections.  The risers got a second coat of blue after this photo was taken.

Star Detail

star pattern from yardstick

Step 5: Print out a star pattern onto cardstock and cut out.  Then trace the star shape onto the riser.

white star painted on riser

Step 6: Paint white inside the traced star area. Then sand everything to distress.

painters tape to mask white riser

Step 7: Using painters tape mask off the edge of the white on the risers.

Aging the Runner

Step 8: Apply Minwax dark walnut stain to ‘age’ the painted runner.

paint distressed and stained

Step 9: Apply three coats of clear satin poly to seal.
* Steps 8 & 9 only apply to steps and painted runner part on riser.  Don’t stain or poly the white part of riser.

pattern on basement staircase

A little bit patriotic, a bit nautical, fun for the kids and a bit unexpected when you open the basement door.

More detail shots:

detail of basement staircase
distressed painted stripes

 

painted stripes detail
stars painted on risers

Thanks for joining me for this painted stair runner project.  Please leave any questions in the comments below and be sure to follow me on social media for sneak peeks, tools and project inspiration:

Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook / Youtube / Twitter

SHOP THIS PROJECT:

diy painted stair runner

painted stair runner collage

painted stair runner tutorial

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Comments

  5. BeingBrook says

    Holy Heck Jaime the stairs look fantastic!! I bet you smile every time you have to go downstairs! Can't wait to see what you do with your bedroom floor.

    Reply

  6. The DIY Show Off says

    Oh my goodness, Jaime! You took an un-noticeable/overlooked space and made a HUGE statement. It's so pretty and so fun. I love it!

    Thanks so much for sharing at the DIY party! 😉

    Roeshel

    Reply

  8. Annie Louise says

    Oh my goodness–your projects are fantastic!!!!! I just became a follower of your wonderful/informative blog. Thank you so much for giving instructions on how to achieve these looks. Your stairs look fabulous!!
    Have a great week,
    Jeanette

    Reply

  16. Alexson says

    Oh snap. I just posted by own whole-basement before and afters on some linky parties and thought my stairs were great. Seeing yours, I'm starting to think about adding one more thing to my to-do list 🙂

    Reply

  26. ~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ says

    Supurb! Such a creative gal. I love the Americana look. There is a house nearby us that has the outside of their home painted in a simular way. Someday I must get a picture of it and post it. It really is striking.
    It's nice to meet you.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

    Reply

  31. Sommer says

    AWESOME! I want some of these going to my basement. Too bad I'm a renter for the time being lol. You have my button but your not linked up yet ;P

    Reply

  43. Biz says

    Oh my oh my! If I weren't a military spouse and we weren't going to move every few years AND I owned a home I would totally steal this beautiful idea from you! My livingroom is Americana and I LOVE how your stairs turned out.

    Reply

  44. Cheryl says

    Love the stairs! They really invite you down to the next level now and look great when you look up the stairs as well. GREAT JOB!

    Reply

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