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Freezer Paper Stencil Placemats
You can create your own unique Christmas placemats using freezer paper! Download the template to use one of our patterns or create your own. Our favorite paint for this project is Simply Spray® aerosol paint because it lays down an even coat of paint. It’s also non-toxic and non-flammable which means you could use it inside your house without exposing your household to dangerous fumes. We also used Tulip Fabric Spray Paint, which is a non-aerosol spray that yields a textured look. Use this to your advantage to give your placemats character, as we did for the poinsettia placemat.
Supplies & Tools:
- Printable template (download here)
- Cotton fabric (1 yard will make 3 placemats)
- Thread that coordinates with your fabric
- Freezer paper
- Simply Spray® Fabric Paint: Gold Glimmer, Textured White (One 2 oz. can makes 2 placemats.)
- Tulip® Fabric Spray Paint: Scarlet
- Pencil
- Cutting mat
- X-Acto
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pins
- Access to iron and sewing machine
- Large piece of scrap paper
Directions:
- Wash and dry fabric. Do not use fabric softener.
- While the fabric is washing/drying, prepare the stencils for your placemats.
- Print the template at 250% and use tape to piece the pages together.
- Tear a piece of freezer paper that is 14" x 18".
- Lay the freezer paper over the template (slick side down) and trace the design. Use tape to hold the freezer paper in place while you trace.
- Lift the freezer paper off the template and place on your cutting mat. Cut out the design using an X-Acto and discard the shaded areas.
- Since each stencil is only usable once, repeat steps 5–6 to make a stencil for each placemat you want to make.
- When the fabric has finished drying, iron it and cut into pieces that are 14" x 18". You will need 2 pieces for each placemat: one for the front and one for the backing.
- Place the freezer paper on one piece of fabric (slick side down) and iron in place.
- Protect work area with a large piece of scrap paper. Lay the fabric with stencil on the paper and spray per the label’s instructions.
- Mountains: Use Simply Spray® Textured White paint. We found that the first spray out of the can yields a very fine spray. Since we want a textured, snowy effect, try pressing the trigger halfway to make the paint more speckled.
- Deer: Use Simply Spray® Gold Glimmer paint. Apply several light coats of paint, allowing them to dry in between coats.
Note: It is very important to spray several light coats of paint. Don’t let impatience get the best of you. If you try to rush this step, the paint will bleed, and the design will be ruined. - Poinsettia: Use Tulip® Fabric Spray Paint – Scarlet. Apply light coats of paint, building up color as desired. Use gold or glitter spray for the flower’s center.
Note: See note above—don’t rush when you’re applying the paint!
- Mountains: Use Simply Spray® Textured White paint. We found that the first spray out of the can yields a very fine spray. Since we want a textured, snowy effect, try pressing the trigger halfway to make the paint more speckled.
- Let paint dry for 10 minutes and then remove freezer paper. Allow fabric to dry completely.
Note: If you have puddles of paint on the freezer paper, wipe them up with paper towels or let it dry before you remove the paper. You don’t want the paint to spill onto your pretty design when you lift the paper.
- Place fabric backing on top of the printed fabric and pin together.
- Sew a straight line 0.5" from the edge of the fabric and leave a 2–3" opening to turn fabric right side out. When you sew, make sure the opening is in the middle of one side—not on a corner.
- Snip fabric at the corners. Be careful not to cut the stitches. (Snipping keeps the corners from getting bulky.)
- Remove pins and set aside.
- Optional: Fold and press the painted fabric, essentially pressing the seam half-open. This step is not mandatory, but it seems to make step 19 a little easier.
- Insert your fingers in the opening and grab a corner on the opposite side. Pull this corner through the opening first, and continue to pull, gently turning the rest of the placemat right side out.
- Poke your finger (or the eraser end of a pencil) in each corner to get a nice right angle. Don’t push too hard because you don’t want to make a hole.
- Lay the placemat (painted side down) on the ironing board and press the seams with an iron. Avoid ironing the painted area directly because the paint might stick to the iron!
- Sew around the placemat 0.25" from the edge.
Note: Align the fabric with the edge of the presser foot—no need to measure!
- Now that your placemat is complete, set it on the table. Is dinner ready yet?
