Craft Woven Paper Place Mats for Country Dining Style

For a quick and easy accent for country dining, you might like to craft these woven paper place mats. Made from paper twist in two different colors, these place mats can dress up a table for an event or, if you do not spill on them, for everyday. They can also be made in one color if you prefer. These place mats have the look of woven raffia or other natural materials.

Woven Paper Place Mats - Materials Needed

To make one woven paper place mat, you will need two different colors of paper twist. This craft material comes in many colors on spools of tightly twisted paper. Choose two colors that match your decor or your country style dining accents for a particular party or event. You will also need clear drying craft glue or a hot glue gun, and a scissor. A measuring tape or ruler will help keep things neat.

Woven Paper Place Mats - Craft Directions

Begin making one place mat by cutting the paper twist. You should use four strips of one color and three of the other, which are twenty inches long each. You will also need five strips of one color and four of the other that are just fourteen inches long. The longer ones are for the horizontal side of the place mat and the shorter ones are the vertical strips.

Lay out the horizontal strips on a flat surface like a table. Alternate the colors for a country plaid look. You can use all the same color if you do not want a plaid style.

Once the horizontal rows are laid out, it is time to weave the vertical strips in. Start at one end and weave the strip over and under the horizontal strips until it is completely in. Finish all the vertical strips in the same manner. Make sure that each one is done in the opposite way than the one before it. This will create a tight weave.

After all the paper strips are woven together into the mat, put a small dab of glue at the end pieces and press them together. This will hold the place mat together. You can leave the edges of the country style place mat smooth, or cut a delicate fringe in the paper on the left and the right.

These woven paper place mats will help create a lovely country style dining experience. Easy and quick to make, they are perfect for parties or every day use.