How to Sew a Placemat in 15 Minutes

My toddler son is a picky eater. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s the truth! That’s why when we are going out and about, I fill up my “mom bag” with tons of snack options for him. These days, his go-to “meals” are peanut butter sandwich crackers, applesauce pouches, fruit snacks, and almonds. I thought it would be cool to make him his own little Placemat so that whether we are at home just hanging out in the living room, he can have a cute place to enjoy his snacks (that’s not our leather sofa).

I chose laminated fabric for the placemat. There are many wonderful qualities that you can find in laminated fabrics, such as durability and water resistance which are both ideal for dealing with a toddler.

If you are looking for other quick projects that you can make with scraps have a look at my recent post: 7 Easy Sewing Projects to make with scraps

What you need to make a Placemat with laminated fabric

I’ve had this laminated cotton fabric designed for a while now, and I’m so happy I found the perfect little project for it! To make one 13″ x 17″ placemat, you’ll need:

14″ x 18″ piece of laminated cotton fabric
14″ x 18″piece of quilt batting
14″ x 18″ piece of backing fabric (I used inexpensive white muslin)

How to make a placemat

Step 1

Layer your fabrics as follows: quilt batting on the bottom, laminated cotton fabric on top of that (facing right side UP), and backing fabric on top of that (facing right side down).

Step 2

Sew around the perimeter of the stack of fabrics, about 1/2″ from the edge. Leave a 3″ section open on one short side for turning. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4″. Use your scissors to trim the corners at an angle, which will make it easier to poke out the corners in the next step.

Step 3

Turn the placemat right side out, using a pencil or a chopstick to poke out the corners. Take the placemat to your sewing machine and pin the 3″ opening closed. Sew where you’ve pinned about 1/8″ from the edge to close the hole.

Step 4

Next, topstitch 1/4″ from the edge around the perimeter of your placemat. If the laminated fabric sticks under your sewing machine foot, you can place a piece of masking tape on the underside of your sewing foot to keep it moving smoothly.

Step 5

When sewing with laminated cotton fabric, it’s still okay to iron it, but always use a pressing cloth (another piece of fabric), so it doesn’t melt under your iron!

Step 6 (bonus)

Inspired by Pinterest, I also made my son a little tray to use out of a cardboard box. The placemat fits perfectly on top! Just cut the flaps off of a box and then cut “tunnels” in the two wider sides to make this part. I also taped a smaller box to the side to make a storage container for toys or other snacks.

Ta da! This placemat is the perfect size for a toddler to enjoy their favorite snacks. We love RITZ Peanut Butter Filled Sandwich Crackers, and the cheese ones come in a close second.

My nearest Kroger store is one of my favorites to visit because it has everything I need, but it’s also not huge so that I can get in and out quickly. When my son gets hungry… I mean “hangry”… he’s far from my favorite shopping companion. But I keep lots of snacks in my mom’s bag, and a pack of these crackers always puts him in a better mood. I’m so glad that RITZ Filled Sandwich Crackers are now available at Kroger stores! I usually find them in the lunchbox section, nearby the applesauce pouches my son also loves.