Designing Details: Creative Holiday Burlap Ribbon Table Runner and Placemats (No-Sew DIY Project)

Today we will be making a Burlap Table Runner and Placemats. This project is a “no-sew” project and is quite simple to do. So, lets get started.

Materials Needed:

Burlap (yardage depends on size and quantity)
Wood Skewers (or some other pointed object)
Grosgrain Ribbon
Fray Check
Stitch Witchery

There are many aspects of these two projects that really just depend on your preference. You can certainly change it up a bit, but for this tutorial, we will refer to the measurements and design used for ours. We decided that we would use Natural Burlap color for our Table Runner and Red Burlap for our Placemats.

Table Runner:

First, we cut our table runner 18” X 84”. We used the “pull a thread” method to get straight cuts. Note: you can review the “pull a thread” method in our Plaid Burlap post). We then added fray check around all sides of the runner to prevent raveling. We then determined that we waned to have our woven ribbon three inches from the edge, so measured in three inches from each edge and marked it.

We marked the width of the ribbon and then began lifting the vertical threads with the skewer and removing all of them within marked space .

Because our table runner was somewhat long, it was a bit more difficult to pull the threads. Therefore, we decided to clip the threads in the center of the runner and just pull the threads from both ends which meant that the threads only had to be pulled half the distance.

Once all the threads are removed, it will look like this.

Now, repeat the process on the other side of the runner.

Next, you will need to weave your ribbon into the runner. We chose to weave ours approximately four inches apart and to weave through three threads each time. Note: Using a safety pin on the ribbon will make it easier to weave through.

Once you have woven your ribbon border into both sides, it is time to “fringe the edges”. Simply remove a few threads (we removed 5 ) on all four sides to create the fringed edge. Next, you will use stitchery to fold and seal the ribbon on each end. Note: the fray check should be dry by now and will serve to keep the sides from unraveling.

Placemats:

We cut our placemats 16” X 23”. Again, we “pulled a thread” to create our cut lines. We then applied fray check to all four sides of the placemat. Next, we determined that we wanted to create our “banding” two inches in from the placemat edges on all four sides. So, we measured the two inches and pulled/removed three threads on each of the four sides by first lifting them with the skewer and then pulling them out.

Once the threads are pulled on all four sides, the placemat will look like this.

Next, using the natural burlap threads that we just remove from the table runner, we began weaving three strands into the placemat on each
side. You can weave these threads using any pattern of your preference.

We then removed threads from each side to create the friged edge as you see here.

And the finished product will look something like this.

Project Notes:

- Remember to Fray Check your edges so that they don’t ravel away.
- Determine your weaving pattern before you start so that they will be
balanced.