How to Make a Braided Place Mat

The art of braiding rugs goes back centuries, and many homeowners still enjoy the look of a braided rug. While it can take many hours to make a rug, a quicker project using the exact same technique is to make a braided place mat. Use a single place mat on a coffee table or multiple place mats at a dining table. While the classic shape of a braided rug or place mat is a circle or oval, you can manipulate braided strips to form the shapes of hearts, dog bones or even stars.

Instructions

Making the Braid

1

Cut or tear your fabric into 1-inch wide strips. If using cotton, cut the strips into 2-inch wide strips. While the lengths of the strips will vary, create enough strips to prepare about 50 yards total of fabric strips to make a 12-x-22-inch place mat.

2

Pair the ends of three strips together and pin them with a safety pin 6 inches away from the end. Fold the tails over at the pin and pair together the tails with their respective strips.

3

Braid the strips together, working the tails into the initial beginning of the braid until you reach a point, 6 inches down, where the tails are worked in, and you have only the three strips of fabric. Clip a clothespin at this point to hold your braid in place.

4

Continue to braid until one of the strips is down to 4 to 5 inches. Move the clothespin down to where your braid ends to hold it in place.

5

Overlap a new strip with the end of your shortest strip on the braid by an inch. Sew a running stitch across the width of the two fabrics to connect the new strip to the old one. Start braiding again to work the seam into your braid of fabrics and continue until you are near the end of another strip.

6

Continue to braid, moving down your clothespin as you go, and add new strips until all of your strips have been added into the braid. Sew all three of the last strips together across the braid when you reach the end. Clip off the tails an inch away from your seam.

Making the Place Mat

7

Set your braid on the floor or a table and fold over the inch of tail to rest next to the braid. Curl the braid around in a circle to cover over the loose tails. Use pins to hold the center of the spiral in place.

8

Sew the outer edge of the spiral to the point where it meets with the inner edge of the loose braid where it will overlap next. Curl the braid around the spiral slowly, pinning and sewing as you go, a -inch at a time, to attach the loose braid to the main body of the place mat.

9

Continue to curl and sew the braid around until you reach the end of your braid with the safety pin in it. Remove the safety pin and sew down the end of the braid to hold it securely to finish the place mat.