Because you needed another placemat tutorial. You were desperately looking for something else to make from all those gorgeous placemats you couldn’t pass up in the Target aisle. I got your back, friend.
This is EASY! Perfect for beginners for a quick project, easy enough to do the day of giving, too (guilty!). Why present a wine gift to the host/hostess in a boring gift bag when you can MAKE one that is wayyyyyy cooler?
Find yourself a lovely placemat. The one I chose has a lining on the back, but don’t fret if yours doesn’t — it isn’t necessary. Just be sure to read the notes below.
Fold your placemat in half lengthwise so the right sides are facing together.
Measure in 3-6 inches, start there and sew back and forth a few times, then sew down the length, turn and sew down the short end, and sew back and forth again.
It should look like this when you’re done!
***Now take your scissors and cut off the fabric to the right of the seam you just made on the short end. NOTE: I did this because the existing seam was too thick with the lining. If your placemat isn’t lined, you won’t need to do this. I also forgot to take a picture. Woops. But you can see it in the next one.
Now, take your scissors and cut off the fabric to the right of the long seam you just made, just down at the bottom where it meets the short sewn end. This will just make it easier to put in the gusset on the bottom of the bag.
Grab the bottom of the bag and squeeze it! 
Squeeze from the folded side so the bottom pops out and use your fingers to fold over the corners toward the center. They will go in about an inch or so.
Get your needle & thread ready, and hand stitch those corners down.
Doesn’t have to be fancy. Clearly. They won’t see this so feel free to just wing it.
Do both sides so it looks like this!
Turn the bag right-side out. Isn’t she pretty?
Depending on the kind of ribbon you have, you may need to seal it so it doesn’t fray. Ever hear of this stuff?
Fray Check is AWESOME – I use it all the time. Perfect for ribbon ends & sealing off small bits that you don’t want to fray.
Insert bottle, tie a bow…
VOILA!
A thoughtful handmade gift to go with your pal’s favorite vino.
Enjoy! Hope your pal share’s her wine with you… :o)
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In honor of Earth Day, I bring you the ultimate sweater recycle!
I wrote “A”, “R”, and “T” out on the three of the pennants, and strung the twine through the holes. (If you’re using scrapbook paper, you’ll need a hole punch).
