Learn how to make a placemat for your home in less than 10 minutes with this beginner-friendly sewing tutorial. Placemats are a simple yet effective way to elevate your dining experience.
They add a touch of sophistication to your table setting and serve a practical purpose by protecting your table from spills and scratches.
Placemats can instantly transform your table into an inviting and stylish space, whether you’re enjoying a casual breakfast, a hearty lunch, or a fancy dinner.
Plus, with many different colours, patterns, and materials, you can easily make a set of placemats that perfectly match your style and the occasion.
You can create placemats for special occasions like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving using fabrics that match the theme.
So next time you gather around the table, you can add your handmade placemats. Your guests will surely appreciate the extra effort, and you’ll enjoy a lovely dining experience.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a beautiful and practical reversible placemat with two distinct fabrics on each side. So gather your materials, and let’s get started!
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Tools & Materials You’ll Need:
- Cotton fabric (check the cutting guide below)
- Cotton quilting batting
- Tape measure
- Tailor’s chalk
- Pins
- Matching thread
- Sewing machine
- Fabric shears
- Iron
Want to build a sewing kit with the right tools? Check out my sewing tools and equipment list.
How to Sew a Placemat in 10 Minutes
Placemat Size & Dimensions
This tutorial is for a standard-size placemat where I live in New Zealand, of 30cm x 45cm (12″ x 18″).
Cutting Guide for Multiple Placemats
This cutting guide will help you determine how much fabric you need to make the number of placemats you want.
It only shows the total amount for the front or back fabric depending on its width, i.e. 1m or 1.5m wide. This is to keep it simple if you want to have different colours of the front and back.
For example: I want to sew x4 placemats. My fabric is 1.5m wide, so I must buy 64cm (25.2″) of both the front AND back fabric. You only require one layer per placemat for the batting, so only 64cm (25.2″) is required.
Front fabric = 64cm (25.2″) x 150cm wide.
Back fabric = 64cm (25.2″) x 150cm wide.
Batting = 64cm (25.2″) x 150cm wide.
| Fabric Cutting Guide | x2 | x4 | x6 | x8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric: 1m wide | 32cm(12.6″) | 64cm(25.2″) | 96cm(37.8″) | 128cm(50.4″) |
| Fabric: 1.5m wide | 32cm(12.6″) | 64cm(25.2″) | 64cm(25.2″) | 96cm(37.8″) |
Step 1 – Cut out the fabric
To make one placemat. Cut out the front and back fabric and the batting:
Front = Cut 1 at 32cm x 47cm
Back = Cut 1 at 32cm x 47cm
Batting = Cut 1 at 32cm x 47cm
Step 2 – Layer the front, back and batting
Place down the batting, then the back piece facing right side up. On top of the batting and back, place the front piece wrong side down.
Step 3 – Sew the placemat layers together
Pin around the outer edges of the placemat layers. Mark 5cm up and down from the centre on the right side.
This will leave a 10cm gap in the seam for turning the placemat right side out after sewing.
To sew the placemat, begin at the first pin where the gap is, and start sewing from the side 1cm in. Turn the placemat and continue sewing until you reach the other gap pin. Then, turn the placemat again and sew 1cm to the edge of the fabric.
Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end.
Trim off the corners.
Step 4 – Turn the placemat out
Turn the placemat to the right sides and wiggle out the corners so they are nice and sharp. Use a knitting needle or corner pointer, then press the placemat nice and flat.
Step 5 – Final details
To finish the placemat, sew around the outer edges 5mm from the sides. You can add some quilting stitches here if you want to.
Repeat this process for as many placemats as you need for your table.
How to Make a Placemat Conclusion
Making items for your home can be easy, quick and fun! I hope you enjoyed this sewing tutorial and now have a set of lovely homemade placemats for your home. Check out more home sewing projects below.