How to make crochet burlap placemats with cotton yarn

Add a basic crochet border to a piece of burlap for an easy way to personalize your table settings. This tutorial for crochet burlap placemats is quick and easy enough for beginners. It makes a great handmade gift or a thrifty way to change out your decor more often.

I’m a DiY and crafty person and so is Hubby. We often give homemade gifts, especially at Christmas. One of the frustrating parts is waiting until I’ve gifted something before sharing it here on my blog. I made a set of adorable burlap placemats for my mother-in-law this year. I also made matching napkins.

Today I want to show you how I made them. The burlap placemats were pretty simple, but I have a few tips that will save you time. Rather than a step-by-by tutorial, I’m just going to share my process. Then you can take the idea and really make it your own.

How to make burlap placemats

Measure

For this project, I made a set of six burlap placemats and fabric napkins. I always buy more material than I need but was a little more conservative this time and got 1-1/2 yards of burlap and the same amount of cotton cloth. I also bought a giant skein of Bernat cotton yarn in blue. The cotton is really sturdy and washable, although I wouldn’t run the placemats through the washer and dryer.

I measured placemats and napkins I already had at home for general sizing and came up with this: 18 in. x 30 in. for each placemat, 12 in. square for each napkin.

Finish the edges

I tried just crocheting the border on right away, but found that the burlap wanted to come apart badly. Learn from my mistake and use this easy solution. I went back and bought 12 yards of double-face bias tape in a matching dark blue (I had a little left over). I just sewed the bias tape over the edge, folding it at the corners.

You can see it peeking out from behind the crochet in the picture above.

Crochet a border

To finish the placemats, I used a size H crochet hook and a half-double crochet stitch to crochet a single row around the burlap placemats and over the bias tape. I put a stitch into about every third hole in the burlap. For the corners, I stitched two into the hole, then chained two, and stitch two more into the same hole. To finish, just cut the yarn and weave the tail back through the border.

Matching napkins

I made some fabric napkins to go with the burlap placemats. If you’re a beginner at sewing, this is an easy project. For each napkin, you need two 12 inch squares of fabric. With the right sides facing, sew a straight stitch around three sides and part of the fourth.

Leave just enough room to turn the napkin right-side out. Make this opening in the middle of one side, rather than at a corner. It will be much easier to close it up smoothly.

Turn the napkin right-side out and iron it flat. Be careful at the open section to press the seam where it will lie flat. Then, use a zig-zag stitch to sew around all four sides.

I really love how these turned out. My mother-in-law does too. Now I think I need to make another set for myself, though.