Craft Project: Picnic-tastic Lunch Mats

Photograph © John Gruen

Picnic-tastic Lunch Mats
Designed by Rebecca Yaker

Prepare to enjoy a lovely outdoor meal on these very stylish picnic-ready place mats! They’re perfectly portable — just slip your utensils right into the pocket. And don’t worry about losing your napkin on those breezy days, because there’s a handy spot for that, too!

Materials

• 1 yard of 44" or 45" fabric
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Finished dimensions — each place mat is 11"x 15" (1 yard of fabric makes 4)
• Seam allowance —  ½" unless otherwise specified

Directions
1. Measure, Mark, and Cut
With right sides together, fold your fabric in half lengthwise, aligning the selvages. Measure and mark the following pattern pieces directly on the wrong side of your fabric, then cut them out:

• Place mat  22" wide, 16" tall (cut 4)
• Pocket  7" wide, 4" tall (cut 4)
• Napkin holder  2" wide, 4" tall (cut 4)

Note: Place “tall” dimensions along the grainline of your fabric.

CUTTING LAYOUT

2. Make the Place Mats
With right sides together, fold a place mat in half, matching short ends. Stitch around all three raw edges, leaving a 4½" opening along long edge for turning. Clip the corners, and turn right side out. Neatly turn the raw edges at the opening to the inside; press. Topstitch around all four sides of place mat, stitching the turning opening closed as you go. Do the same for the three remaining place mats.

3. Make the Pockets
On the top edge of a pocket piece, make a narrow ½" double-fold hem. Topstitch.

Fold and press the napkin holders as you would to make double-fold bias tape. Topstitch along both long edges.

Position napkin holder on pocket, 2" down from the top hemmed edge, aligning raw edges. Baste in place along sides. Press the three raw edges of the pocket (and attached napkin holder) ½" to the wrong side. Place on the right side of place mat, 1" from edge, and 1" up from the bottom. Topstitch around bottom and side edges, leaving top open to insert utensils.

Repeat these steps for remaining three place mats.

Excerpted from  One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins. © 2009 Storey Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.

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More Craft Projects All Month!
March is National Craft Month. To celebrate, we’ll be posting a new craft project each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month. Join the fun! Like us on Facebook, follow the InsideStorey blog, or check in to InsideStorey on the dates below to get the projects as they go live.

Tuesday, March 5: Keep your crafting ideas organized on this great Memo Board from Sew Up a Home Makeover by Lexie Barnes.

Thursday, March 7: Have some fun with the kids by creating candy race cars — make a candy track, and take your car for a sweet ride! The Formula One Car is from Candy Construction by Sharon Bowers.

Tuesday, March 12: Two projects in one — Motif and Connection #62 from Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman. Learn the motif, then make a bunch, and connect them to create a bigger project.

Thursday, March 14: Cutting and Using Stamps from Fabric Surface Design by Cheryl Rezendes.

Tuesday, March 19: Spark your children’s creativity and make storytelling fun with Story Dice from Show Me a Story by Emily K. Neuburger.

Thursday March 21: Mudroom Organizer (Designed by Sascha Ayad) — Make spring cleaning simpler with this easy-to-make shelf from PlyDesign by Philip Schmidt.

Tuesday, March 26: Get ready for your spring gardening with the Green Thumb Half-Apron from Sew & Stow by Betty Oppenheimer.

Thursday, March 28: Enjoy a springtime picnic with these Picnic-tastic Lunch Mats that hold a napkin and utensils from One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins.

The projects will be posted on the InsideStorey blog on the dates indicated above.