How To Make Placemats
Most placemats in our homes will have a cork base, and this is not a bad idea, however, one spillage, and they can start to degrade and warp over time.
Fabric placemats are so much easier, if they get dirty, you can just wash them!
That is why so many people are taking to making their own fabric placemats, they can make them in whatever style they want, and they are easily washable when they get dirty!
So, if this sounds like something you would like in your life, it is time to learn just how you can make yourself some easy fabric placemats.
Sew Your Own Placemats
A new placemat can add something new and refreshing to your dining area, and sewing your own DIY placemats can be so easy, and it can also make your life easier too.
Not to mention how they make for great personalized gifts too!
Even if you are new to sewing this is a super simple and super easy place to get started that will spruce up your life and make for easier cleaning in the future too!
All you need to do is stitch two lines! It is so amazing and only takes half an hour (with a sewing machine).
How To Do It
It is super simple to do, you do not need much, and even if you are best at sewing doing it by hand you can still give it a good go. It might take longer to do by hand, but it will still work.
Before we get into the details, let’s talk a bit about the size and what you need.
Ideal Placemat Size
There is also no rule on how big you should have your placemats either, some will have them at 18” x 14” others 18” x 13” or even 14” x 11”, it is up to you and how big you need them to be.
Some smaller tables will benefit from 14” x 11”, however, do not forget to consider the size of your plates as well.
What You Need
So what do you need on your shopping list?
- 2 quarters of a half-yard fabric per placemat you intend on making.
- Fusible fleece, batting, or an interfacing that is half the size of the fabric.
- A matching thread.
- Iron.
- Pins/ clips.
- Scissors.
- Sewing machine.
- Willpower.
You could also benefit from a few other things but they are not totally necessary.
- Quilting ruler.
- Self-healing cutting mat.
- Rotary cutter.
You would benefit from these things, especially if you want to do this more often, but it is not a 100% requirement, especially as a beginner and if you do not know if this is something you will want to do more often.
Easy Reversible Placemat
We do not know how many of these you will need, so instead of telling you how to make 4 or 6 we will just tell you how to make one, and you can multiply by however many you need.
1. Cut Your Fabric
Let’s say you are going to make a nice 18” x 14” placemat for your dining area, to start you want to cut out two rectangles of this size from your fabric and one rectangle from your fusible fleece.
With the fusible fleece you want to make this about 17” x 13”.
2. Add Fleece
Add your fleece to the back of one of the pieces of fabric. Typically, you fuse the fleece onto the fabric you want to use facing it down.
As a newbie you probably haven't done this before, but it is really easy, and this is where your iron comes into play.
3. Start Sewing
Next you want to place the two pieces together at their right side, you will want to start sewing now, allowing for around half an inch of seam, or 1.3 cm.
Always leave a gap of a couple of inches as well for tuning it up on a shorter side as well. This just gives you some wriggle room.
4. Clip
Once you have finished sewing around the edges you now want to clip your corners to create a cleaner finish as well. This is just for aesthetic purposes really and making it look neat.
5. Turn It The Right Way
Once your pieces are together, turn the right side out. Yes, when you sew, always do it the wrong way and then turn it the right way after. Poke your corners in neatly, and press down well.
You will also want to turn in the raw edges of the hole to the inside and press down there too.
6. Top Stitching
Top stitching is the final part of the masterpiece. You will need to top stitch your whole placemat, give it a seam allowance of about ¼ of an inch, it closes up the gap for tuning as well.
Also, if you do want it to look gorgeous, we recommend a long stitch length, or at least longer than you did before.
You might want to even go up to 4 mm, it might sound absurd at first, but trust us, it will look good.
It sounds crazy because this basically means you’re putting in a whole 6 or even 7 stitches per inch, which sounds huge, but it does create a very neat and glamorous aesthetic that you will be proud of afterward.
Of course, you do not have to do it exactly this way, it is your placemat after all!
To Conclude
A placemat is easy enough to make yourself, and this is the absolute simplest way to do it, it is easy as well because you can much easier clean these, and it won’t warp like a cork placemat does, so it may last longer too.
However, the best thing about this is that it gives you a chance to make your placemats exactly as you want them, and bring out your creative side too, even as a beginner in stitching, it is easy enough to do.