The holidays can mean something different for everyone but one thing can be said for all of us: ‘Tis the season for holiday parties! Whether you’re attending them as a guest or taking on the task of playing hostess, the holidays give us the opportunity to bring out our best table linens and dinnerware. For those with a handmade holiday in mind, today’s DIY tutorial will be just the homemade touch you need for your already festive tablescape. Local quilter Brittany Lloyd of Lo & Behold Stitchery is sharing an easy quilted placemat that will impress your guests or make the perfect hostess gift.  

Keep reading to see Brittany’s full tutorial and don’t miss Brittany’s beginner placemat tutorial—just in case quilting isn’t your thing! 

Featured designs by charlottewinter, littlearrowdesign and blairwhite712

Set the Table with a Festive How To: DIY Quilted Placemats | Spoonflower Blog

Quilted placemat materials | Spoonflower Blog
Don’t forget to pre-cut all of your squares before starting to construct your placemats!

Materials for Two Placemats

*To make a complete set of 4 placemats, double your materials. 

Pro tip: The Fill-A-Project™ 1 yard Cheater Quilt template is a great way to order all of your designs on one yard! 

Sewing the Placemat Top

Create quilt blocks for your quilted placemat | Spoonflower Blog

On the back of a white 3.5” (8.9 cm) square, draw a diagonal line connecting two corners. Repeat for all white squares. Place a white 3.5” (8.9 cm) square with a larger 6.5” (16.5 cm) square. Align edges and pin if needed.

Create quilt blocks for your quilted placemat | Spoonflower Blog

Stitch across the drawn line. Trim excess fabric 1/4” (0.6 cm) from seam. Press seam open with iron.

Create quilt blocks for your quilted placemat | Spoonflower Blog

Repeat for the opposite corner.

Pro tip: Make sure you do the opposite corner before moving on to the other corners. This will ensure the seams overlap nicely!

Create quilt blocks for your quilted placemat | Spoonflower Blog

Repeat this process on the remaining two corners.

Create two more quilt blocks following the above steps. Sew together the three blocks with 1/4” (0.6 cm) seam. Press seams open.

Stitch the top fabric strip to your quilt block panels | Spoonflower Blog

Place one of the 3 1/4” x 18.5” (8.3 cm x 47 cm) strips of fabric right sides together with row of three blocks from above. Sew together with 1/4” (0.6 cm) seam. Press seam toward the solid strip.

Placemat top before quilting! | Spoonflower Blog

Repeat step 4 for the opposite side of the placemat with final the remaining 3  1/4” x 18.5” (8.3 cm x 47 cm) strip of fabric. Trim any excess fabric to ensure your edges align.

Quilting the Placemat

Layer your placemat for quilting | Spoonflower Blog

Baste your placemat layers | Spoonflower Blog

Lay the backing of the placemat on a flat surface, printed side down. Lay batting on top of backing piece. Make sure pieces are flat and smooth. Place the placemat top over the bottom two pieces. Baste as desired with safety pins or basting spray.

Pro tip: Make sure the bottom piece is slightly larger than the the batting layer and the batting layer is slightly larger than the top layer.

Quilt your placemat | Spoonflower Blog

Quilt as desired. For best results, I recommend using a walking foot to keep all of the fabric together. Trim the quilt sandwich to align with the top layer.

Quilted placemat- almost done! | Spoonflower Blog

Trim your quilt sandwich to align with the top layer. 

Create the Binding

Create your quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Create the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Piece the 2 1/4” (5.7 cm) strips of fabric together to create a continuous 2 1/4” (5.7 cm) x 72” (182.9 cm) strip of fabric.

Create the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Pro Tip! Use 45 degree piecing method in order to lessen seam bulk when folded. Find even more tips on creating your own bias tape here.

Create the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Fold the fabric strip in half and press with an iron.

Binding the Placemat

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Align raw edge of binding strip with the top edge of the placemat, leaving about a 6″ (15.2 cm) tail. Backstitch and start sewing a 1/4” (0.6 cm) seam around the perimeter of the placemat.

When you get to a corner, stop sewing 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the edge and sew off the corner at a 45° angle.

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Remove the placemat from your sewing machine. Fold the binding strip straight upward forming a 45° fold.

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Holding the fold with your thumb, fold the strip back down, aligning the binding’s raw edges with the edge of the placemat.

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Start sewing at the top of the fold, 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the edge.

Attach the quilt binding | Spoonflower Blog

Stop sewing about 3″ (7.6 cm) from the start, backstitch and cut the thread.

Pull the beginning of binding strip taut towards the end of the binding strip. Sew the strips together and cut the excess fabric 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the seam. Press the seam open and fold to align the raw edge of the binding strip with the edge of the placemat. Continue to sew the remaining binding on placemat.

Fold the binding in half and stitch in place | Spoonflower Blog

Fold the binding over to the back of the placemat and sew in place. Now you’re ready to set your table with beautiful quilted placemats!

Back of the quilted placemat | Spoonflower Blog

Set the Table with a Festive How To: DIY Quilted Placemats | Spoonflower Blog

Now that you’ve created the perfect placemats for your next big event, see how to create a coordinating table runner!


About the Guest Blogger

Brittany Lloyd is the quilter behind Lo & Behold Stitchery. She is a North Carolina native who specializes in creating heirloom quilts that will be loved for generations to come. Inspired by the beautiful quilting of her late grandmother, Brittany pays close attention to detail while adding a fun and modern spin to her work.  See more of Brittany’s creations over on Instagram!