If you've got an old pair of jeans hanging around that have seen better days, these place mats are super easy to make in a couple of hours. I made these mats a couple of weeks ago from new jean material and attached two back pockets from an old pair of my hubby's jeans. You could cut the mats from the jean legs if you wanted to... you may need to adjust the size. Here's what you need if you want to make a pair of mats like mine:
Jean Place Mats
3/4 yard of jean material
gold coloured thread
twin needle (optional)
3/4 yard of fusible batting for the back
2 jean pockets... you can also use the pockets from kids jeans... they are somewhat smaller
If you are using new material, make sure you wash/dry it before cutting it out. These instructions are for one placemat.
Cut one piece of jean fabric 20" x 18". Sew a pocket to the fabric on the right hand side, Place approximately 3-1/2 inches from the bottom edge of the fabric and 1-3/4 inches from the side. Sew around the pocket to attach it to the "placemat:" using gold coloured thread.
Serge all four edges of the fabric. Fold under 1" on all sides. Press with an iron. Cut the batting 18" x 16". Fold back the fabric and iron the fusible batting on to the back of the jean fabric. Fold the "seam allowance", miter the corners , fold back over the batting and pin. On the right side, sew all around the placemat in a double row. You can use a twin needle or do each row approx. 1/4" apart. You're done!
Bandana Napkin
1/2 yd, red bandana fabric
1/2 yd. blue bandana fabric
This is enough fabric to make 4 napkins.
Cut a 14" square out of both the red and blue bandana fabric for each napkin. Pin wrong sides together. Serge around the outside edge.
Tuck a napkin into the pocket on your place mat and you're done!
Now throw some beans in a pot, get a pot of chili brewing and break out a cool brewskie!
Cheers,
Sharon