Make These Fun Place Mats for Your Next Party!

If you are looking for a way to snazzy up your table or your patio table I have the perfect thing. How about placemats for fun! These are not your normal every day placemats. These placemats will hold your silverware and even your napkin. I have made these for a long time for family and even sold them to clients.

Here's how you make these fun and festive placemats.

First you need material. Since this is for fun, how about checks or if you want placemats for a celebration, like a birthday party there is a wide variety at your local fabric store.

I will use my fun placemats that are made out of red check, jean pocket and belt loop for explaining. I use these during the summer on our patio table.

The supplies you need are: material, old pair of jeans, double fold bias tape extra wide-1/2 inch, stiff interfacing, and thread to match. Oh yes a sewing machine, needle and straight pins.

You need to cut two rectangles about 10 � x 17 inches. You can adjust the size you want your placemats to be. For these placemats you don't need a seam allowance. You will be using bias tape. You also need to cut the interfacing the same size as the material.

Next, cut a pocket and belt loop off the old jeans. For the pocket, cut the inside jean material off the pocket. You just want the pocket itself.

Next, take the belt loop and form a circle with it, over lapping the ends just a little. Sew this circle together by hand. You probably will need a thimble; jean belt loops are pretty thick.

Next take one of the rectangles of material you cut, face up, lay it in front of you on a table. Take the belt loop that now is a circle and on the left side of the material put it 4 inches up from the bottom and 1 � inch over from the side. This is where your belt loop needs to be sewn to the material. You will want to do this by hand. You can't get this under your sewing machine presser foot.

Next take the jean pocket and on the right side of the material, place the pocket about an inch from the edge of the material, using the top of the pocket as your measurement and an inch from the bottom of the material. Pin this pocket in place with your straight pins.

Now you are going to sew the pocket by using your sewing machine but don't sew the top. You're going to use the pocket as a real pocket.

Know take the other rectangle of material you cut, this is the back of your placemat and lay it face down. You are now looking at the back of the material. Next lay the stiff interfacing on top of this; then lay the other material that has the belt loop and pocket on top of the stiff interfacing, with the front up. You are now looking at the right side of your material with the belt loop and pocket facing you. So you have the first rectangle of material face down, the interfacing on top, then the belt loop and pocket staring back at you on top of that. It's like a sandwich you have made.

Next, take the straight pins and pin the sandwich together so they won't move around on you. Now you have to sew these layers together. By using your sewing machine, sew in a half-inch around the whole rectangle. Now you basically have your placemat, just one other thing left to do.

By using your double fold bias tape, you are going to cover the raw edges. The bias tape is already folded for you. All you have to do is open it up and place the edges of your placemat in between the fold, close the bias tape around the raw edge and sew.

Using your sewing machine sew in 5/8 inch from the fold edge of the bias tape. As you get to the corners, you have to miter them by folding the bias tape around the corner so that there is a neat pleat at the top and bottom of your corner.

After you have sewn about all the way around your placemat you will come to your original starting point. Cut the bias tape about an inch longer, past the original starting point, fold under the cut edge of the bias tape and cover your original starting point. Now you have a nice and neat ending.

Now you have a fun and neat placemat. The belt loop is for your napkin and the pocket is to hold your silverware. Make, as many of these that you need and your table will be the talk of the party!

These placemats clean up really easy just throw in your washer and drier; if need be you can run your iron over them, that's it!