Bilingual Table Toppers
January 22, 2011
Several of you expressed interest in a tutorial for the placemats I made. This was a rushed, last-minute project for me, so this is the best I can do!
First, I used an existing placemat to determine the size I wanted to use. I cut 2 pieces of each fabric to that size, as well as 2 pieces of flannel, per placemat. Using Elmer’s spray adhesive, I glued the flannel to the wrong side of each placemat piece.
To make all my pieces, I found a fork and spoon image I liked by searching Google images. I made up the knife piece (and kicked myself when I realized I had it backwards. But being under a time constraint, I dealt with my backwards knife). I traced one of our large glasses (that we don’t normally use at dinner) and a plate that’s a size smaller than our regular dinner plates (that I used to set the table). I got out one of our regular napkins, folded it in half, and traced it.
Then I made 8 sets of everything, so I had a complete table setting for each side of my placemat. I traced it all onto the paper side of Heat n Bond LITE.
Once I got it all traced, I ironed the HnB onto the wrong side of the fabric I was using for them. Napkins went on polka dots, everything else on black. Then I cut out all my pieces.
I laid all my pieces out on the placemat until I got an approximate placement for them. I removed everything but the napkin piece, took the paper backing off, and ironed it down onto the right side of the placemat piece. I then appliqued around the edge (for tips on how I applique, visit my applique tutorial).
Then I laid out the rest of my pieces, ironed them down, and appliqued them.
Repeat on both sides for each placemat.
Once all the pieces were appliqued, I placed wrong sides together, and sewed around the perimeter of the placemat, close to the edge. I made bias tape (not on the bias) and sewed it around the edges to finish them off.
Then I wrote my piece names with a fabric marker and voila! I was done!
Posted in Applique, Decorating, SYTYC, Tutorials
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:45 AM
This is so cute! I’ll have to do this when I have little ones, maybe with French!
Thanks for sharing!
February 28th, 2011 at 4:41 PM
Oh wow, Im going to do this for my little girl. English and Portuguese
March 29th, 2011 at 10:01 PM
This is such a great idea!! We have a multilingual household, it’ll be fun to have these in several different languages :0)
June 14th, 2011 at 5:50 PM
This is adorable!! Such a great idea to add the words in two languages!
June 14th, 2011 at 7:59 PM
SO CUTE! This grandma will have to make a set for my daughter and her boys! Thank you for sharing!
June 21st, 2011 at 10:53 PM
Seriously love this! But my grandmother was a stickler for table settings, and the knife is facing the wrong way
I’m sure it doesn’t matter, but if people are replicating this, I’d want them to know!
Big (new) fan of your blog,
Ant
August 11th, 2011 at 9:26 AM
Have you tried washing these? Does the adhesive hold up? Thanks for sharing!
August 11th, 2011 at 10:28 AM
I haven’t tried washing them yet. But if you applique all your pieces down, they won’t come off in the washer!
August 24th, 2011 at 2:41 PM
This project is my favorite! I absolutely love the idea.
November 4th, 2011 at 4:13 PM
very cool! i’d seen other versions of these placemats, but never bilingual. we’re a bilingual home, so i will give it a go too!
lisa
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:46 AM
wow
wonderful
I like it.
inshallah I will make many as them.
I think in future sewing will be my new hobbies after age 27 hehe, you encourage me,
from my childhood I dream to sew, mum is sew sometimes, but you push me to start.
my best regards,
bahraini
September 19th, 2012 at 11:42 AM
here i am again to tell you that i made them! here’s my take on them, if you’re interested: http://cucicucicoo.blogspot.it/2012/09/tovagliette-bilingue-bilingual-placemats.html
thanks again so much for the idea!
lisa
April 5th, 2013 at 2:56 AM
This is a great way to teach the kids how to properly set the table. One could even add the salad forks, the soup bowl & spoon, etc… or even make different sets for different courses. The applications are many. And making them multi-lingual provides another teachable opportunity. LOVE IT!