How to Make Custom-Sewn Place Mats

Sew your own place mats to create an inexpensive but custom look for your table. Custom-sewn place mats carry out holiday themes and color. Thanksgiving mats, for example, can feature autumn colors or fabric with prints of harvest themes.

These instructions show you how to make four place mats from one length of fabric, but you can get creative by mixing and matching different fabrics. For example, you can make color blocks or create reversible place mats; just make sure that the fabrics you mix and match have similar washing and drying needs. You don't want one side to shrink while the other side stretches out.

To make four place mats, you need

1-1/2 yards of 45-inch-wide fabric
1-1/2 yards of 22-inch-wide nonwoven, double-sided, fusible interfacing (with paper backing)
Matching thread (For a no-sew option, use fabric glue.)
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing machine (not necessary when using the no-sew option)
Tape measure
Iron/ironing board

After you gather all the materials you need, follow these instructions:

Cut eight 13-x-19-inch rectangles from the fabric.
Cut four 12-1/2 x 18-1/2-inch rectangles from the fusible interfacing.
Center and place each piece of fusible interfacing on the wrong side of four of the fabric rectangles. Adhere the interface to the fabric by ironing according to manufacturer’s suggestions.
With right sides facing, align the edges of a fused fabric piece to a plain fabric piece and pin them together.
Using a 3/8-inch seam allowance, sew or use fabric glue to bind the edges, leaving approximately 6 inches open for turning.
Clip corners near the seam and remove the paper backing from the fusible interfacing.
Turn the place mat right side out and carefully push the corners out, using your finger, an unsharpened pencil, or the point of a letter opener.
Making sure that the top piece of the place mat is centered over the bottom piece, begin pressing and fusing the two pieces together. Fold the edges under at the opening and press.
To close the opening, just sew it up or use fabric glue.