This Vintage Tie Place Mat craft project came to me the other day when I was in the local Goodwill. They had huge boxes of vintage ties, retro ties, and themed ties for 4 for $1! Now, that is a real bargain for some fabric. The colors in some of these ties were so interesting and really would be great conversation starters at a dinner party! So, try making these Vintage Tie Place Mats and see what the comments are at your next diner party!
To Make Vintage Tie Place Mats You Will Need:
Retro Ties
Sewing Machine
Scissors
That’s all folks
Click here for more ideas from Rebecca.
So go ahead and choose about 10 ties for each placemat.
Lay the ties out on your table and measure about 15 inches long for each tie.
Trim of the short ends so each retro ties is only this long.
Now, lay your vintage ties out short end to fat end and pin them together.
You want to create a rectangle placemat shape.
Now, on the rough ends, tuck the fabric of the retro tie into itself. You will see this created a pocket when you cut the whimsical ties, so use this to your advantage.
Pin these in.
Now turn on the sewing machine to a zig zag pattern. If you do not have a zig zag pattern on your sewing machine, then sew this line twice, you will see what I mean in a minute.
Now, start on one end of the retro tie placemat and start sewing along the first two ties. You want to sew them together and create a fun zig zag pattern along the way. At the end of these first retro ties stop and cut off any loose threads.
Repeat on the next row. Always follow the lines of the edges of the retro ties, you want to highlight the ties shape, so try using white thread too!
Continue until you have the entire set of ties sewn together
Now, on to the outside edges. Start in one corner and sew along the edge of the placemat. Follow the lines of the outer edges of the ties on the place mat. Remove your pins on the short ends as you come to them!
This will finished the edges, add some interesting stitched detail, and hold those rough ends shut!
You are finished with your retro tie placemat! All you need now are some retro cocktails, some retro finger foods, and a few of your favorite friends.
Repeat this as many times as needed to make all the vintage placemats you need. Based on the price I found my retro ties for it should cost you about $2 a placemat, but if you have tons of old ties from your spouse you could make these for free!
Tip: If you find these retro placemats are too slick try cutting out some of that rubbery shelf liner to a slightly smaller size. Use a needle and thread to attach it to the underside of your vintage tie placemats and they will not move at all!
Click here for more ideas from Rebecca.
