How to Make Your Own Springtime Placemats
The birds are chirping, blooms are sprouting, and there’s more daylight to savor… it must be Spring! The season calls to mind milder temperatures and a yearning to get outside and start planting. But why not bring the outdoors in? You can enjoy spring flowers year-round with your very own homemade placemats!
For this project, you will need:
- Paper, plastic, or vinyl placemats (enough for your table setting) in your choice of solid color or print (Note: the mats must be smooth on the surface)
- Dry rub transfers in a flower pattern(s) of your choice – make sure to purchase enough for all of the placemats
- Small, pointed scissors
- Scrigit Scraper™
If using vinyl or plastic placemats, thoroughly wash them in warm, soapy water and allow to air dry.
Begin by cutting out the flowers. Be sure to keep the back contact paper intact. Take your time and carefully cut along the edges of your flowers, including any stems or leaves. By the time you are done, there should be no background to the cut-outs, unless you choose to keep it there for design purposes. Cut as many or as few as you’d like.
Arrange your flowers on your placemats. You may lie all of them out at one time, or work on one placemat at a time. Keep in mind, the placemats do not need to match symmetrically; each placemat can serve as its own work of art!
Once you have decided upon your design, carefully peel off the backing of the first flower and position it. If you are creating a layered look, position the background flower(s) first. As you position the flower, use your Scrigit Scraper™ to rub the transfer onto your placemat. Rub in all directions to ensure a complete transfer. If using paper ones, take your time and be gentle so as not to tear the paper. You will need to use a little more pressure in rubbing a transfer onto a vinyl or plastic placemat.
Once you have your design finished, set the placemat aside and begin the next one.
If you make a mistake, you can always cover it with another transfer. For paper placemats, you can just start over with another blank slate. With vinyl or plastic placemats, you may want to remove the transfer and start over.
While you can’t really protect your paper placemats, you can protect the plastic and vinyl ones by applying either a clear spray paint or clear acrylic spray. Make sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
And there you have it! This technique can be used to make seasonal placemats; you can purchase dry rub transfers in all sorts of designs. Have fun with it, and Happy Spring!
Contributed by guest blogger Cyndi G.
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