I’ve recently gotten a request from someone who doesn’t have a sewing machine, but wants to create her own unique tablescapes. So I thought I’d share a quick way to make placemats without having to sew a stitch.

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 yard of fabric  (washed & dried, without fabric softener)

Heat ‘n Bond hem tape

Iron & ironing board

scissors

brown craft paper

ruler

marker

Wash & dry your fabric with detergent, but don’t use any fabric softener.   This will get out any sizing that is in the fabric, and will make the Heat ‘n Bond stick to it.

Using a ruler, mark your pattern measurements on the brown craft paper & cut it out.  Mine was 13″ x 18″, but you can make yours any size you want to fit your needs.  Just make sure that you make your pattern the size you want it to be but add an inch to all sides to allow for your hems.  (the finished size of this placemat is 12″ x 17″)

Using your pattern, cut out 4 pieces of the fabric.  Since this is not a reversible place mat, that’s all the pieces you’ll need.

Place your fabric on your ironing board with the ‘good’ side face down.  Using your iron, press a 1″ hem up on all 4 sides.  Make sure that the crease is pressed sharply.

Open the pressed area & cut off the bulk at the corners. This is the little triangle section at the corners.

Then press the fabric, one side at a time, to make the hem, by bringing the raw edge down to the pressed crease. (You’ll be rolling the raw edges under)  This will encase all of the raw edges so that you don’t have to worry about strings poking out when you wash it.

When all sides are pressed, measure the Heat ‘n Bond Hem Tape for each side.

Clip off excess hem tape and set aside.  Repeat for each side, cutting 4 pieces for each place mat. (2 long & 2 shorter pieces)

Now for the magic of Heat ‘n Bond!  Slowly, place one piece of Heat ‘n Bond between the rolled hem that you’ve just created with your iron and press in place.  (Follow the instructions on the package.)  I ironed a small section at a time, making sure that the Heat ‘n Bond is inside the fabric.  You don’t want any of the Heat ‘n Bond to touch the surface of the hot iron.

Repeat the process on all 4 sides. Because you’ve clipped off the corners, you will be making a mitered corner on all 4 corners without any extra bulk.  The placemat will lay smoothly all the way around.

The underside of your place mat will be crisp and lay nicely now.

And you’re done with your first place mat!  Repeat for the remaining 3 pieces that you’ve already cut out.

You now have 4 no sew place mats so you can get started on your tablescape!

Happy creating