DIY Craft Project: Vintage Placemat Window Treatments

Vintage Placemats are readily available at almost any flea market, antique shop, and online. You can easily turn everyday Vintage Placemats as well as new placemats into a striking and custom looking window treatment in a matter of hours. So, the next time you see piles of colorful vintage placemats at the flea market, you will already know what craft project you can make out of them!

Tip: If you have a kitchen stuck in the 1970's, then try using some vintage placemats from that era to make your kitchen look like it is on purpose! The addition of a few fun retro colors can really update a kitchen into a fun throw back to a generation gone by. Plus, you get a remodel on an extremely small budget!

This awesome Vintage Placemat window treatment is the simplest way to incorporate a vintage design into your home, kitchen, family room, or even a home office.

To make this simple Vintage Placemat window treatment you will need:

Vintage or Retro Placemats (Lots of them)

One 2X10 cut to fit your window

Screw in door stops (one for each hat)

Primer

Paint

Paint Brush Sand Paper

L Brackets Power Drill

Screws

Wood filler

Staple gun

Now, the first step is to measure how wide your individual window is. I like to make this Vintage placemat valance stick out about 5 to 6 inches on either side, but that is up to you. You will also need two pieces of this same board cut to about 4 to 5 inches wide. These will be the sides of your valance.

Now, Screw in through the front ends of your long board and attach your two side pieces of the valance. I like to predrill these holes and then put in my screws so that the boards do not split.

Now, sand your entire wood valance lightly.

Paint on a coat of primer, like Kilz.

Let the primer dry, then paint on a coat of your paint. I like to paint this valance because you will be able to see it from the outside of your window.

This is a good time to introduce an accent color into your room. You could also paint this board the same color as your walls if you have any leftover wall paint.

Now, let that paint dry.

Measure across your board with your tape measure. I like to mark right where the middle is.

Now, you are going to layer your Vintage placemats, so start on the outside and work your way in so the middle placemat is on the top.

So, start on the far left. Lay your placemat so that is covers the side of the wood frame, Staple it to the top and let it hang down over the board. Now, wrap the Vintage placemat around to the front covering the corner. Staple down on the top of the board as you go.

Now, repeat this step on the far right with another Vintage placemat.

Now, work your way in towards the middle slightly overlapping each placemat as you go.

Place the final Vintage placemat in the middle overlapping each left and right placemat evenly.

Now, use your L brackets to hang the Vintage placemats on the wall. I like to put one L bracket on the left end of the valance and one on the right end of the valance They should be placed on the inside of the side wood pieces. Try to screw into a wood stud if at all possible.

Do this for every window in your kitchen and you can really display quite a Vintage or retro placemat collection.

You can also hang curtains from inside of this Vintage placemats valance by using a tension rod inside of it. The wood sides of the valance will easily support the tension rod.