Easy sewing tutorial: Christmas placemats with Christmas trees
This easy sewing tutorial explains how to sew a Christmas placemat.
This sewing project is very easy to make with our Complete beginner sewing kit Christmas placemats with green fir trees.
You can also make this project with fabrics of your choice, although it will take more time because you will then need to apply the fir trees. The instructions follow in the second part of this post.
How to sew Christmas placemats with our complete sewing kit
The sewing kit allows you to sew 2 matching Christmas placemats with green fir trees in trompe-l'oeil applique on a white background.
It includes a panel of thick organic cotton twill fabric,printed with all the fabric pieces needed. You only need sewing thread in addition.
- 2 right sides printed with fir trees on a white background
- 2 back sides of dark printed fabric
Step 1: Fabric preparation
- After cutting the 4 fabric rectangles (exactly on the edges), place a printed top with fir trees on a white background on the corresponding back, the two fabrics right sides together. Make sure the two prints are oriented in the same direction.
- Pin in place.
Step 2: Assemble by sewing on the wrong side
- Assemble the two rectangles with a seam around the edge (by hand or machine), 1 cm from the edge (not on the line between the white background and the printed green edge) starting 4 or 5 cm from the center bottom, and also finishing 4-5 cm from the center bottom, to leave an opening of about 8 cm.
- Carefully trim the seam allowances at the 4 corners with scissors to about 2mm from the seam, being careful not to cut the sewing thread.
- Press the seams open by hand or with an iron.
Step 3: Sew the finishing seams on the right side
- Turn the placemat right side out by passing the fabric through the opening made at the bottom.
- Press again, and hold with a few pins.
- Close the bottom opening with an invisible hand stitch.
- Topstitch around the placemat just at the edge of the white background and the printed border, to mark the frame and secure the fabrics in place.
And there you go, the first placemat is ready. Now sew the second one the same way, then admire your homemade Christmas table decoration!
These Christmas placemats are so quick and easy to sew that you can create a collection in no time to give as gifts or to keep and decorate your Holiday table.
How to sew Christmas placemats without the sewing kit
If you do not have the sewing kit, you can still make this Christmas table decoration with other fabrics. In this case, you will need to appliqué the trees on the white background before sewing the placemats.
Supplies
For each placemat, you need:
- plain white cotton fabric (about 45-50 x 30-35 cm depending on the desired size)
- Christmas printed cotton fabric for the back (same dimensions)
- scraps of printed fabric matching small patterns, marbled or faux-solid greens and browns for the trees
Preparation of the placemat top with appliquéd trees
From your fabric scraps, cut elongated isosceles triangles to create the trees, and small rectangles for the trunks.
Cutting templates are included in the Christmas table runner patchwork pattern available in our shop.
Next, arrange the pieces harmoniously on the background, then apply each piece of fabric, starting with the trunks and background trees and finishing with the foreground trees to give depth of field.
These simple geometric shapes lend themselves well to needle-turn appliqué, or to raw-edge appliqué topstitched with a blanket stitch.
Once the trees are appliquéd, add 3 cm borders to the work, then assemble and finish the placemats as indicated in the section above with the kit.
