Make Your Own Personalized Place Mats

Seems that now days for the most part family dinners are nearly nonexistent. However, if you are hoping to have a few more sit down dinners at home with your family or are planning dinner parties with friends, a great way to make these occasions more festive is via your table scape. The following shows one way to make place mats for your table that can be personalized or created special for your decor or party theme.

What you will need:
Clear contact paper
Decorative items, flat
Scissors

Start by cutting two pieces of clear contact paper to the size you want your place mat to be. Alternatively you may be able to cut one piece and cut a piece of something else to be the back ground. Ideas may be; sturdy paper, or fun foam from a craft store. If you are using two pieces of contact paper you will need to peel the backing off one piece, this will be the back of your place mat. Lie the contact paper sticky side up. You can now place your decorative items. Once those items have been firmly placed you can carefully peel off the backing on your second piece of contact paper and press it down onto the first piece, sticky side down. Focus more on not having bubbles between your two pieces, if you are slightly off on your placement simply trim the edges down to match.

Ideas for Decorations
If you are planning a spring party, pressed flowers or even pictures of flowers can make a great decoration for your place mats. Making these just for dinners with your family? Decorate with each family members name and things the coincide with the likes of that family member. Such as pictures of cars for your son. More options are; leaves, stickers, pages from a poetry book. The options are endless.

You may be able to buy place mats for your table but why not go that little extra step and create something fun and unique. It may not bring your family to the table easier but it will make the table a bit brighter and more enjoyable once they do get there.