An Introduction to How To Easily Embroider The Perfect Placemat

What’s a perfect compliment to a holiday table, family meals, or special occasion, big or small? An embroidered placemat! 

Placemats are a versatile addition to your table and are easy, quick, and a great hostess gift. Let’s explore different shapes of placemats, what stabilizers to use, embroidery designs, and placement of them.

Placemats are quite easy to make from scratch.

Learn how to sew and embroider a quick placemat to spice up your kitchen table.

For those who don’t have access to a sewing machine, there is a large assortment of blanks on the internet.

We’ll concentrate on some you can make, including designs that work for pre-made blanks. 

Remember that placemats don’t have to be rectangles; they can be square, round, oval, character shapes, lace, well… anything!

Here are some places you can look for materials:

• Online companies: many companies sell blank placemats online. Stabilize, hoop, and embroider! 
• Dollar stores: usually change their stock per season, so you can change your table seasonally! They are inexpensive and come in many colors.  

Find a table runner? Grab 2! Cut the second one into three or four sections to make matching mats. Just turn under the raw edge and stitch shut.

• Thrift stores: often, you will find beautiful linens, old and new, that can be repurposed.
• Jeans: they’re fun, durable, and easygoing when embroidering. Use pockets to put your napkins or silverware, quilt them, and more.
• Upholstery material: often, the material that looks horrible on a sofa could be successfully used for a placemat.  
• Terrycloth towels: soft, easy to clean, and fun for kids!

Want more embroidered kitchen ideas? Check out our kitchen embroidery project ideas to personalize your space!

There are a few ways to create beautifully embroidered placemats with a pre-made blank.  

Let’s look at two types.

Double layer placemats

These are just finished ” bags ” like sewing shut a pillowcase). You can open the edge of these and embroider on them and close them back up! This way, the back side of the embroidery is covered and not seen.

Single layer placemats

Sometimes it’s hard to open up a placemat but don’t worry! It is possible to embroider it.

Placemats are more durable than clothing. Therefore, it’s not necessary to live by the “if you wear it, don’t tear it” motto.  

Placemats covered with a backing: use tear-away stabilizer (so the back side of the embroidery doesn’t show).  

For placemats that don’t have a back covering: use wash-away (so you don’t show any stabilizer left behind).

Hooping is easy; we’ll follow our regular rules—hoop with the smallest hoop available for the embroidery design you choose.  

Lay the placemat on the hoop and hoop naturally without overstretching. Feel free to float your placemats (lay them on an already hooped stabilizer) since they are fairly small and not heavy.

This is so subjective! Placement is truly up to you. The center, sides, and corners are all fair game. Before deciding on a placement, consider whether the embroidery will remain visible once the plate is set down.

You can also applique on a center rectangle for a lovely effect!

Kitchen designs are perfect for placemats. From cocktail designs to dessert designs and everything in between, we have what you’re looking for!

Check out our collection of over 850+ kitchen embroidery designs.

Get your creative caps on because there are many ideas! 

Some are washable, and some you can wipe and go.

Matching mug rugs and placemats: mug rugs are essentially tiny placemats; why not make a matching set? Same design, same process.

Create your own in-the-hoop mug rug project to accent your style while highlighting your embroidery skills!

Children’s placemats: embroider canvas placemats that can be colored with washable markers. Fun and entertainment at the dinner table!

Placemats with pockets hold everything you need, and you’ll never forget a napkin or utensil again for mealtime. 

Flowers are also a great way to embellish your placemats. Check out our 3,700+ flower embroidery designs.  

Doodle placemats: embroider tic-tac-toe grids, mazes, or other designs. Then, place a piece of clear vinyl over it. Doodle, then erase when you’re done!

Want an easy way to doodle your placemats? Easily convert your doodles to embroidery designs without digitizing by trying a free demo of the Design Doodler!

Cork placemats: cork is very popular and is non-slip and absorbent. Perfect for wiping and reusing without that extra wash. 

Piece quilted placemats: piece together crazy quilt blocks in the hoop and quilt the mat. You’ll be sure to have one-of-a-kind placemats that can’t be replicated. 

You can even use leftover fabric scraps! Lay them down and embroider over them with a motif fill to create your own fun placemat.

Want to learn more about using leftover fabric scraps? Check out 7 easy ways to recycle your leftover embroidery stash and fabric scraps.  

Quilted placemats: plain fabric or fancy quilt, then cover with backing and binding.

Cutwork placemats: this embroidery technique is fun, and creates a beautiful project.

Use our cutwork napkin tutorial to make matching placemats and napkins. It is perfect for pre-made placemats.

Check out this gorgeous embroidered cutwork lace napkin project.

Lace/sheer placemats: lace or sheer material are a great choice for Christmas. They are elegant and easy to use. The material is overlaid on a colorful background and stitched in place.

Check out our free tutorial on how to create a festive reverse applique Christmas embroidery placemat. 

Embroidered vinyl placemats: vinyl wallpaper, flocked tablecloths, and fabric are great as they’re easy to clean.

Table Runners: they’re just big placemats! Try some Puff Stuff to create a beautiful raised runner.

Check out our ESA Gylphs to easily create shapes and objects with the click of a button for your personalized embellishment!

When creating your next placemat, your imagination is the only thing that limits you!  

Think about the fabric, how it’s placed, and any embroidery designs. This will help you create a unique placemat that matches the style of your kitchen. Check out our 30,000+ high-quality embroidery designs to find what you want.

P.S. If you’re new to Embroidery Legacy, download 11 free embroidery designs, and our free Embroidery Legacy Design Kit.