Stylish and eco-friendly placemats can be difficult to find, which is why I typically sew my own from organic cotton or linen. But with more options and materials available—from wool felt to silicone to block-printed organic cotton—the following shops offer a variety of price points and represent different shades of "green."
Etsy seller FilzFelt makes their wares from the sustainable fiber, wool felt. While their placemats are available in a variety of colors, are reasonably priced, and can be composed in their post-life, they don't seem appropriate for the messy eater. In comparison, Modern Twist offers buyers a placemat that is cleanable and super hip, but at nearly twice the price. Ferm Living's cork tray can double as a placemat—they are cleanable and super durable, but at $30 each, setting a table can get expensive. Both Unison Porter and Oh, Little Rabbit offer buyers machine washable, organic cotton options. Oh, Little Rabbit takes their creativity one step further by hand block-printing their wares.
TOP ROW
1 FilzFelt's Wool Felt Circle Placemat, Set of 2, Choice of Color, $32
2 FilzFelt's Wool Felt Rectangle Placemat, Set of 2, Choice of Color, $32
3 Modern Twist's silicone placemat in Green Grid with Grey Dots on Clear Base, $20
4 Modern Twist's silicone placemat in Floral Black on Clear Base, $18
5 Unison Porter Organic Linen Cotton Placemat in Midnight, Set of 4, $24
BOTTOM ROW
6 Ferm Living's Small Cork Tray, $30 from Velocity or EUR 20 from Ferm Living (both are out of stock until the middle of November)
7 Oh, Little Rabbit's Block Printed Organic Cotton VW Bus Placemat, Set of 2, $14
8 Oh, Little Rabbit's Block Printed Organic Cotton Octopus Placemat, Set of 2, $14
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My in-laws brought their cork-backed hard placemats over from England, and I loved them so much I got my own set. Very easy to wipe clean and don't stain compared to the cloth or bamboo kind - I pretty much stopped using cloth placemats after I got these. The designs tend to be a little old-fashioned, but some of the floral patterns are quite nice (we have the amaryllis): http://www.jasonproducts.com/Products_67.aspx?CategoryId=88
Do you know where those cups are from in the sixth picture (with the cork tray)? I'm not much of one for browns, but those are beautiful.
Er... it does not seem that 2x$20 = "twice as much as" $32... imo.
Silicone kitchen items just make me happy, though. :)
@minuet42 - The cups are also by Ferm Living and are available on velocityartanddesign.com
http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/tree-bomb-thermo-mug-c-1461-p-1-pr-25895.html