How to Make Artisan Placemats

Placemats are objects that fulfill a function that goes beyond the decorative. They’re used to protect dining tables and enhance tablecloth designs and you can make them yourself. Of course, there are countless options on the market with different prices and materials, but creating artisan placemats with your own hands gives that touch of personalization to your table.

There are placemats made of wood, resin, rubber, jute, or cloth, and they’ve become such a fundamental piece that there are companies dedicated exclusively to their manufacture. However, if you’re a creative person and always see a piece of fabric as a rough diamond, why not make your own artisan placemats? Keep reading as we’ll tell you how!

How to make artisan placemats

In this article, we’ll provide three options for making your own artisan placemats. Most likely, you’ll already have many of the materials that you’ll need to do this. In addition to recycling, you’re going to save money and have fun creating unique pieces.

Braided fabric placemat

If you have some scraps of fabric at home that are waiting to become something else, use them to make your artisan placemats. You can even use some clothes and fabric accessories that you no longer use.

Take note of all the materials that you’ll need to get started:

• Scraps of fabric
• Silicone
• A pair of scissors

Step-by-step instructions for making artisan placemats

Now that you’ve gathered all the materials to make your artisan placemats, it’s time to create!

1. Cut your pieces of fabric into three strips, (you can mix different colors).
2. Once you have the strips ready, join them at one end and start making a braid with them. The length will depend on the size of your placemat.
3. When the braid is done, start rolling it up. You should fix it with silicone so that the braid doesn’t easily come loose.
4. With the scissors, finish the ends of the braid and now you have your artisan placemat!

Dyed cloth

Fabric braids aren’t the only option for making handmade placemats with this material. You can create unique patterns on the fabric to decorate your table. The materials you’re going to use are the following:

• Scraps of fabric, (the thicker the better)
• A pair of scissors
• Liquid fabric dyes
• A plastic container
• Salt and hot water
• Bleach
• Spray bottle

Step-by-step instructions for making artisan placemats

1. Cut the scraps of fabric according to the shape and size you want to give your placemat.
2. Use thick fabric, or join two pieces together–for which you’ll need silicone or a thread and needle.
3. Add your chosen liquid dyes and salt to the bowl of hot water.
4. Leave the fabric in the bowl for about 30 minutes. Then, take it out and run it under the faucet to remove the excess tincture and salt.
5. Place the fabric in a place where it’ll dry quickly and repeat with each of the placemats that you’re going to make.
6. So far you have some handmade individual placemats, but somewhat conventional. If you like them like this, it’s perfect. If not, play around by dyeing some parts in another color or add details with bleach, for which you can use flower or bird stencils, for example.

Artisan placemats made with corks

Fabric isn’t the only resource you can go to to make your handmade placemats. Corks are another option, so recycle them after uncorking wine at home. Take note of the materials you’ll need:

• Cork stoppers
• Silicone
• Knife
• Sandpaper

Step-by-step instructions for making artisan placemats

1. Gather as many cork stoppers as you need to make your placemats. This will depend on the design and size you’ve chosen, they can be round, square, or irregular.
2. Very carefully use the knife to cut the corks in half. Make sure they’re all the same size.
3. Use sandpaper to file the edges so that they’re much more uniform.
4. Glue the pieces of cork together with the silicone. For better handling and safety, use a glue gun.
5. Give your individual pieces a real shape until you get the final product.

Create artisan placemats with whatever you have on hand!

We’ve given you three ideas to make your artisan placemats, but they’re not the only ideas. Get inspired and put your creativity to the test using other materials such as decorative stones, jute, pieces of recycled wood, or wooden clothespins. Don’t forget that you can also make cup holders too!