Add flavorful stitches to synthetic straw placemats to bring a beautiful look to picnic and patio tables. Learn the top tips and tricks for embroidering on straw placemats for tasty results.
Synthetic straw placemats are lightweight, flexible, and come in a variety of colors. Find them at stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, or online at Amazon.
Supplies & Materials:
Project Materials
- Synthetic straw/woven polypropylene
placemats (I used ones with a 15" diameter)
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer
(Sulky Solvy)
- Air-erase pen for marking
- Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100)
The designs used in this tutorial include:
Gather Materials:
A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool for placement and positioning.
Print a template of the design from your embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.
We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)
Then, position the center of the template so it is on the center of the placemat.
Mark the horizontal and vertical axis lines.
Start Embroidering:
Straw placemats are a little too thick to hoop. Instead, hoop a piece of cutaway stabilizer, and spray it with temporary adhesive.
Put the placemat on top of the stabilizer, lining the axis lines made on the placemat with the marks on the hoop.
Synthetic straw has ridges, so use a piece of lightweight water-soluble stabilizer (like Sulky Solvy) as a topping. That will help the stitches to land evenly on the straw.
Pin the layers together.
Attach the hoop to the machine, and check to make sure that everything is clear so that the hoop will move freely.
Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so it's the best choice to penetrate the synthetic straw fibers.
After embroidering, tear the water-soluble stabilizer away from the top. Use a damp sponge to remove any remaining bits.
Trim the cutaway stabilizer away from the back.
Enjoy adding a fresh and flavorful look to your table with these embroidered straw placemats!
