How to Get a Striped Lawn

Mow the two outer edges of the lawn that are perpendicular to the direction that you want the stripes to be. Mow the other two lawn edges, overlapping the other two edges on the end. This step helps you set the initial straight line that you want all the stripes to follow.

Mow the first stripe down the lawn, mowing in the direction that you want the stripes to go. Mow directly from one end to the other, for north-to-south or east-to-west stripes, or mow diagonally across the lawn, for diagonal stripes.

Turn the mower 180 degrees when you reach the edge, pushing down on the handle to lift the mower's front wheels, and the blade underneath, off the grass while you turn. Mow past the edge if you are using a riding lawnmower, and turn around off the grass surface.

Position the mower's wheels so that they overlap the just-cut stripe between 3 to 6 inches.

Proceed to cut the second stripe in the opposite direction as the first, using a steady, continuous rhythm forward. Turn 180 degrees when you reach the edge, lifting the front wheels, or drive the riding mower past the edge and turn around. Position the wheels in the same overlapping way again. Proceed to cut the entire lawn, using this same procedure.

Create a checkerboard pattern by mowing stripes in the same manner from north to south, if you just moved the lawn stripes from east to west; or mow from east to west, if you just mowed stripes from north to south.

Mow around the lawn perimeter again, to remove any irregularities in the stripe ends, caused when you turned the lawnmower.