Before and After: Another Gorgeous Use For a Cheap Placemat
What a lovely placemat! It would be great for protecting a table or beautifying a table or . . . that’s pretty much it. A throw pillow, you say? Well, now I’ve heard everything!
This is so pretty! I’m now convinced that placemats (which I generally have no use for) are made to be pillows. They’re generally nice and sturdy, as well as being just the right size. The scale of this pillow is perfect: it’s definitely in the throw pillow size range, without being fussily dinky. This DIY was created by Lindsey McCord of Lindsey Crafter, and she did a bang-up job. I would never guess this started life as a placemat: the palette is playful, the background color is elegantly muted, and the tassels add an intriguing contrast (though you could make your tassels in one of the pillow’s own hues if you’re not into power-clashing).
Target has a bunch of cool placemats—the asymmetrical embroidered and black-and-white versions would make great pillows—including the fabulous Threshold one that Lindsey used. (Plain canvas was used for the backing, but you could also use another placemat to create a reversible pillow.) Here’s how she describes spotting it in the store:
I saw it at Target and thought it looked JUST like some of my favorite Anthropologie textiles! Placemats are just the right amount of fabric to create small throw pillows out of without breaking the bank
And while Anthropologie doesn’t currently offer anything exactly like this pillow, most of their offerings are in the $80 range. You could buy a lot of placemats with that kind of cash. Definitely stock up when you see cool placemats on deep discount.
Over on Lindsey Crafter, Lindsey has detailed instructions for making pillows like this of your own; here she can be seen sewing tassels onto one of the corners. If you’d like to make one—or a ton—of your own:
See how I made a $5 placemat into a posh kilim pillow! Take these easy steps to transform fabric placemats from any home goods store into affordable pillows for your sofa or bed!
Thank you, Lindsey!