Placemats for kids help protect the table surface from messes. They can also entertain the child to help them get through those waiting times. In making children's placemats the most important element to remember is the functionality. If it isn't easy to clean, it won't get used.
The placemats in today's project are easy to clean, protect your table surface and can also be used to educate or entertain a child of any age.
Materials Needed:
- Clear plastic tablecloth fabric (1 yard will make about 4 placemats)
- Spray adhesive
- Plastic lacing
- Hole punch
- Scissors
- Paper (11 X 17)
- Optional-markers, computer printouts, rulers, magazine pictures, etc.
Preparation:
- Decide on the shape of your placemat. You can get really creative or use a standard rectangle with rounded corners.
- Cut out eight pieces of plastic the finished size of your placemats.
- Cut out four pieces of paper three inches shorter and narrower than your plastic. In other words, if your plastic is 14" X 20", your paper will be 11" X 17". If you are using a medium like permanent markers that can bleed through the paper cut out eight pieces instead of four.
Designing Your PlacematThe age and ability of the child can help determine what you use to design your placemat. You can make a placemat for a young child that will show colors or shapes. You can create a mat that shows groupings of items for children to count, or draw lines for the child to practice printing letters. For an older child you can put in facts about states, climate, history, spelling words or even math formulas.
The placemats can also just be decorative. You can make them to represent the seasons, holidays, or milestones in the child's life. Print off cartoon characters of photos from the computer to add the child's favorite characters and family members.
Make four placemats using these ideas or ideas of your own. Turn the papers over and then create four more. If your marker bled through use a separate sheet of paper for the back.
Assembling Your Placemat
- In a well ventilated space, lay out the eight pieces of plastic.
- Spray thoroughly with your spray adhesive.
- Center your first paper placemat evenly on one of the sheets of plastic right side down. Press it down firmly.
- If you used a separate sheet of paper for the other side lay that over the paper evenly.
- If you didn't use a separate sheet of paper, you should have a design face down and a design face up.
- Carefully lay a second sheet of sprayed plastic on top of the paper making sure it is centered and that the adhesive side is facing the paper.
- You should now have a two sided placemat sandwiched between two sheets of plastic. Press down firmly all over.
- Hole punch around the edge 1/4 to 1/2 inch in from the outside edge.
- Lace the plastic lacing material in and out all the way around knotting the beginning and end to hold it in place. This step is just to add color and a design element but is not necessary for the placemat to remain secure.
You can also use clear contact paper if you prefer not to use adhesive spray. If is just a matter of preference.
