3 Creative Fall Place Mats To Make At Home

In the fall, you can find all sorts of seasonal table decorations at any home décor or discount store. There are lots of nice designs to choose from, but wouldn't you rather have something that fits your style perfectly? You can make your own fall place mats quickly, easily, and inexpensively, and they can brighten up your table in an instant. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Fabric Place Mats

If you have a sewing machine, it's easy to make your own fabric place mats. You can even sew them by hand if you like. All you need is two yards of fabric. Or if you'd like to have two looks in one, you could use a yard each of two coordinating fall colored fabrics.

To make a rectangular place mat, cut two pieces of fabric about 15 by 20 inches. Fold each edge under 1/2 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric, and iron those edges into place. Then place the wrong sides of the fabric pieces together, pin, and stitch 1/2 inch from the edge all the way around. Stitch again 1/8 inch from the edge, and you're done.

Laminated Fall Place Mats

Making laminated place mats is fun and easy. They also clean up nicely, requiring nothing more than a quick wipe with a damp cloth when soiled. Here's what you'll need to make them:

* Poster board
* Fall photos, kids' drawings, post cards, or any other flat paper or fabric items
* Glue
* Contact paper or laminating machine

Cut the poster board to the desired shape and size. Arrange the photos, post cards or drawings to your liking and glue them on. Let dry. Cover with contact paper, or laminate. Or if you prefer, you could take them to a local copy shop to have them laminated.

If you're into scrapbooking, you could use scrapbook paper instead of poster board and create the place mat just like you would a page. Create a layout, add photos and embellishments, and laminate, and you have a unique place mat that's guaranteed to be a conversation piece!

Painted Fall Place Mats

If you are an artist, you can easily make beautiful painted place mats! Simply cut canvas to the desired size, plus an extra half-inch. Turn the edges under 1/2 inch, crease, and secure them with glue. Then paint the canvas just like you normally would. Once the paint is dry, add two coats of polyurethane.

Why buy the same boring place mats everyone else has when you can create your own? With some inexpensive supplies and a little imagination, you can have great fall place mats that suit your tastes and dining room décor perfectly.