How to Make Fabric Placemats | Sew Your Own Table Setting

For the full breakdown, see our best Fabric For Placemats guide.

Making fabric placemats is one of the most satisfying beginner sewing projects: it uses minimal fabric, teaches you the core skills of turning and topstitching, and gives you a finished item in a single afternoon. Whether you want reversible designs for everyday meals or quilted versions for holiday tables, the process boils down to one reliable method you can adapt to any size or style. The steps below walk you through the full process, from cutting to the final topstitch.

What Fabric Works Best For Placemats?

Cotton fabric is the most common choice for placemats because it presses well, holds its shape, and washes easily. Quilting cotton — the medium-weight cotton sold in craft stores — is ideal since it’s durable enough for daily use yet easy to sew on a standard machine.

Your placemat needs structure to lie flat on the table, so you’ll add a middle layer between the two fabric faces. Three options work well:

• Fusible fleece — adds softness and body, fuses to fabric with an iron
• Interfacing — a firmer, thinner option for a crisper placemat
• Quilt batting — the puffiest choice, giving a quilted, cushioned feel

Whichever you pick, follow the manufacturer’s pressing instructions exactly — fusible products need the right heat and pressure to adhere properly. For a reversible placemat, choose two outer fabrics that are similar in weight and drape, or the finished edge may pull or pucker.

If you’re deciding between fabric types or want to compare cotton, linen, and blends before you buy, this roundup of the best fabric for placemats covers your tested options in one place.

Cutting Your Fabric: Sizes And Seam Allowances

Cut two fabric rectangles per placemat, plus one middle-layer piece, then add your seam allowance to the finished size you want. The seam allowance is the extra fabric inside the seam line — you lose it when you sew and turn, so it must be added to every side.

Standard placemat sizes and their cut dimensions look like this:

Wash and dry your fabric before cutting. Skipping the prewash risks shrinkage and distortion after your first laundering — the placemat shrinks but the stitches don’t, which puckers the whole piece.

Sewing The Placemat Step By Step

Once your pieces are cut, the sewing follows one simple sequence: layer, stitch, turn, press, topstitch. A single placemat takes roughly 20 minutes of machine time once your fabric is prepped.

1. Layer the pieces. Place the two fabric rectangles right sides together, then lay the batting, fleece, or interfacing on top of one side (or fuse it first per the manufacturer’s instructions).
2. Mark a turning opening. Use a fabric pen or chalk to mark a 3-to-4-inch gap on one edge — leaving it unmarked is the fastest way to sew yourself into a corner. A smaller opening makes turning and corner-shaping much harder.
3. Sew around the perimeter. Stitch with the correct seam allowance for your size, backstitching at the start and end for durability. Stop precisely at your marked opening, leaving it unsewn.
4. Clip the corners. Snip diagonally across each corner, close to but not through the stitching. Untrimmed corners make the finished placemat bulky and blunt.
5. Turn right side out. Reach through the opening and pull the fabric through. Use a point turner, chopstick, or the capped end of a pencil to push out the corners gently — poking too hard can puncture the fabric.
6. Press the edges. Iron the placemat flat, rolling the seam slightly to the inside so the stitches sit just off the edge. Pressing well before topstitching keeps edges crisp and even.
7. Topstitch around the perimeter. Sew 1/8″ to 1/4″ from the edge all the way around — this closes the turning hole, stabilizes the edge, and gives the placemat a clean, professional finish.

For a quilted look, add lines of stitching across the finished placemat or stitch in the ditch along an accent strip.

FAQs

Can I make placemats without batting or interfacing?

Yes, two fabric layers alone make a functional placemat, but it will be thin and prone to wrinkling between meals. Batting, fusible fleece, or interfacing adds the body that helps placemats lie flat and protects the table from heat. Skipping the middle layer is fine for decorative mats or as a quick beginner project.

Do I need to prewash fabric before making placemats?

Yes, prewashing is strongly recommended. Cotton fabric shrinks in the first wash, and if you sew it unwashed, the finished placemat will pucker and distort after laundering. Dry the fabric the same way you plan to launder the finished placemats — if you’ll machine-dry them, machine-dry the fabric first.

How do I wash finished fabric placemats?

Most cotton placemats wash well in cool or warm water on a gentle cycle, then tumble dry low. Remove them promptly to minimize wrinkling. Placemats with fusible fleece or interfacing may need cooler water and lower heat to protect the adhesive bond — check the interfacing manufacturer’s care instructions. Press while slightly damp for the crispiest finish.