WE’RE GETTING AHEAD OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH OUR 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN JULY! IT’S DAY 8, AND WE’RE USING FABRIC PANELS TO MAKE SOME SUPER CUTE CHRISTMAS SNACK MATS!
When I think of Christmas snack mats, I immediately conjure up visions of hot chocolate and cookies. Just me? I don’t think so. Just thinking about it makes me feel comfy-cozy and ready for winter.
This year, why not add a little bit of homemade fun to your treats? You can make these cute Christmas snack mats (or placemats, if you prefer), just the perfect size for a cup of steaming cocoa and a sweet treat. Make them for yourself, or use them as fun gifts!
Supplies for Christmas Snack Mats
As with most sewing projects, you can make this as easy or complex as you like! Here are the basic supplies you’ll need:
- Fabric – you can use Christmas prints, colours or panels, plus extra for the backing and binding
- Quilt batting – I will be using my favourite Insul-Brite, perfect for those hot mugs and warmed plates
- Rotary cutter and mat or scissors
- Quilting Ruler
- Sewing Machine
You can see how I put together my own Christmas Snack Mat in my YouTube video and take some inspiration for your own.
Continue reading below to get the step-by-step instructions. Note – all these instructions will be based on my own project, using panels that measure approximately 10 inches square. You may need to adjust your own measurements based on the panels you choose.
Instructions for Christmas Snack Mats
Sewing a snack mat is similar to sewing a quilt, just on a much smaller scale. You’ll start by preparing your fabric – make sure it is all pre-washed. Speaking from personal experience, you really don’t want to find out later that some were washed and some weren’t! Different fabrics can have different shrinkage allowances, and colours can bleed into each other, which will ruin your nice crisp project! And you definitely don’t want that! Trust me – be safe, not sorry.
Once your fabric is washed and ironed, you can begin cutting. Using the panels as guides, I started by cutting out 10-inch squares. The panels are approximately 8 inches, and I left a 1-inch padding around all sides. Next, I cut one strip of coordinating fabric measuring 10 inches long by 5 inches wide and a second strip measuring 6″ x 5″. I also cut a small strip 5 inches wide by 2 inches high for the trim on the side pocket. I chose to use a jelly roll strip for my binding, so no cutting is necessary there. You can mix and match the fabrics you use, but here is a picture of my fabric after cutting:
You can mix and match any fabrics you like. I used what I had on hand that worked with the panels!
The first step is to fold the 2-inch strip in half lengthwise with the right sides out. Stitch this across one end of the 6-inch strip, as shown below.
Adding the folded strip of fabric with raw edges together will give you a nice finish to the cutlery pocket.
Next, layer the two 5-inch wide pieces with the shorter piece on top. Line them up from the bottom. Finally, place the two shorter pieces with right sides down on the left of the panel and stitch, as shown in the image below.
You can see how the layers fit together in these images.
Once you have the top of your mat assembled, cut your batting. You can trim it to approximately 1 to 2 inches larger than the top layer. Then cut your backing fabric, which should be roughly the same size as the batting. Carefully pin or clip all three layers together and quilt your snack mat. Because of the small size of this project, you don’t need to do much in the way of quilting unless you want to! I’ve chosen to do some very simple quilting, following some of the straight lines formed by the pattern.
Now it’s time to add your binding and finish as desired. I used two strips of a jelly roll to make my binding, as it’s what I had on hand, but you could use anything you like. Once your binding is finished, your Christmas snack mat is done and ready to use!
This little Christmas snack mat is super cute and so quick and easy to put together. Just think of everyone you know that might like one! After all, handmade gifts are so welcome and special. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with keeping one (or six …) for yourself.
Not caught up on our 12 Days of Christmas in July? Here’s what you may have missed:
- Day 1: Rustic Christmas Wreath
- Day 2: Scrabble Tile Christmas Ornaments
- Day 3: Yarn Christmas Trees
- Day 4: Christmas Pillow Covers
- Day 5: Feather Christmas Wreath
- Day 6: Mini Christmas Wreath Ornaments
- Day 7: Christmas Potholders
Want to remember this? Save these “Quick and Easy Christmas Snack Mats: 12 Days of Christmas in July” to your favourite Pinterest boards!
