How to Make Embroidered Burlap Placemats

Embroidered burlap placemats are an easy and inexpensive way to add texture and natural tones to any table and the embroidery-thread border allows you to create a customizable pop of color.

Iron the burlap to remove creases. Then measure and cut the burlap to size. Our placemats measure 12” x 19”. When you’re cutting the burlap, be careful to follow the grain. Burlap is easy to cut in straight lines by staying in the row all the way through your cut.

After you cut the burlap, the material will start to unravel. The best way to keep the threads secure is to quickly hem it. We used bright red thread and gave it one pass through on the sewing machine.

We hemmed about a quarter of an inch in from the edge, so that the edges would be a little frayed, but still secure.

Thread the needle with your embroidery thread and start stitching. Use a super simple over and under pattern, alternating the spacing with each color.

The stitching is a little time consuming, but once you have your first thread finished, it creates a template of sorts for the next thread. You can use that baseline to quickly stitch your other colors while you watch a movie.

These embroidered burlap placemats will perfectly accent any tablescape. We made these creations for a Mexican Christmas-time fiesta.