A Gift for Granna

As Little Dinosaur is getting older (just turned 3), we can start being more creative with our handmade gifts for family and friends.  Granna's birthday is the first event every year, so we decided to make these pretty placemats for her.  

Supplies needed: 

• one or two colors coordinating fabric (prewashed)

• various colors fabric paint and paint brushes

• Contact paper

• newspaper (to protect painting surface)

• sewing machine and matching thread

First I cut the fabric into rectangles (4 of each color).  I used one of my large placemats as a template.

The next step I folded and cut the contact paper as if making paper snowflakes. Here is a great video link to demonstrate. Then I centered the snowflake in the middle of the fabric rectangle. To add an extra detail, I took four matching pieces from the cuts and centered them on each corner. If you do this, remember to place them well within the edge of the fabric to allow for  finishing the edge after painting.

Give your faithful assistant the paintbrush.

and instruct them to paint over the white "stickers"

I helped Little Dinosaur be sure to cover all the areas to get a good print.  I let him pick the colors he wanted to use.  I rinsed the brush in a dish of water, and tried to keep him from mixing the colors too much. (Of course that is his favorite thing to do when painting)  Little Dino did get into the water and this caused the paint to bleed into the fabric some. I don't mind that - it adds that special "made by a three-year-old touch." On the very last one, Little Dino picked a glittery gold color to use.  I really liked how that added some flare to the placemats, so I added a bit to the other three he already painted. (I would have had him do it, but he was already on to playing with trucks and trains.)

I laid them out to thoroughly dry overnight. Then I removed the contact paper templates.

Here is the front and back view.

To finish the edges I used the bright orange to back them. (I liked the more polished look, rather than having the back show the paint that bled through the fabric.)  I sewed a seem all the way around about a 1/4" in from the edge to attach the front and back pieces. I decided to fray the edges, which was easier for me than a finished hem.  Here is a link if you are interested in finishing the edges smoothly. (Mitered Corners)

These were really very simple to make, and a great project for kids to participate in gift making.  A little bit older kid would probably enjoy helping to fray the edges of the fabric as well. We packaged them up along with a handmade birthday card for Granna.  Hopefully she will enjoy using them as much as we enjoyed making them.