Old Jean Pockets Are Perfect for Place Mats
Great for Buffets and Dining Outside!
Pockets on place mats are so handy, especially for dining outdoors. Insert a napkin and cutlery, roll the place mat up and you’re ready to go. The rolled place mats also make a nice presentation on a buffet.
Old jean pockets are a fun way to dress up place mats and so easy to do. We found three ways to put jean-pocket place mats together.
The first example, from A Spoonful of Sugar, starts with pre-made fabric place mats. Choose plain place mats in whatever color you prefer, then add a pocket and a pieced binding for a festive finish.
These were made for Australia Day, which appears to be similar to our 4th of July.
The second example, from House of Handmade, is made from pretty cotton for the front and leftover drop cloth for the back. The two pieces of fabric are sewn together, right sides together, and turned so there’s no binding.
The same simple construction can be used with two pieces of cotton. You could also add a layer of thin batting, if you’re so inclined.
Jean pockets are glued in place with permanent fabric glue. Or, stitch them down, like in the first tutorial from A Spoonful of Sugar. The finished place mats are 20″x12″.
Finally, a tutorial from Today’s Nest shows how to make placemats entirely from denim. Choose large-sized jeans for the place mat fabric, and smaller jeans for the pockets.
Fusible fabric tape is used both in the mat’s construction and for adhering the pocket. The finished place mat is 20″x16″ but the size can be easily adjusted.
