Moroccan Mats | DIY The Perfect Pompom Place Setting for your Bohemian Wedding Reception
Oh. My. Goodness. Are we psyched to show y’all today’s DIY! You’re gonna freakin’ LOVE it.
So, it’s not new news that we’re like, ALL kinds of obsessed with pompoms right now and that we believe you free spirited brides should be too. They’re right on trend, they’re a playful addition to your decor and they give off that wanderlust vibe in a big way… In short: we LOVE. I won’t write a sonnet to them because, well, I already did that (read more on our Pom-session here) but you feel the vibe, pompoms are just everything for 2015.
So, the natural progression was of course to create a DIY to showcase said pompoms at the very heart of your celebrations (for real, they might steal the show!) and where better than as a part of your reception tables…
Enter: our Moroccan mats.
But who’s got time to sew like a hundred place mats right?!
Wrong.
These bad boys are NO SEW. ‘Cause I totally knew you guys were gonna freak, and who wants to spend the last six months before their wedding stuck behind a sewing machine? Just no.
So, grab some drinks and nibbles, a team of willing helpers, hit up a great playlist and you guys could totally nail a hundred of these mats in an evening!
THIS aquamarine bracelet and THIS gold drape chain are two of Wanderlust Life’s newest designs and I couldn’t be any more besotted with them. So chic, these barely-there pieces are the ultimate understated statement.
For real, if I could do my wedding again, you better believe I’d be sporting her jewels. They’re BEYOND.
I digress, but those jewels needed recognition, they’re just too gorge! As always, a mahoosive thanks to Old Bear Media for shooting this DIY with us, these sunny shots are gonna brighten your Thursday up big time!
Now, shall we get to it?
- Fabric we went for a bit of good ol’ Hessian to get that rustic vibe, but anything on the thicker side would work! You do you! We approximated that a single placemat should be around 31 x 45 cm, so you guys can figure out how much you need for your guest count!
- Pompom trim this stuff is the bomb. We went for a deep cherry shade, but it’s literally available in every colour you could imagine from your local craft store or haberdashery, or even ebay! You’ll need enough to trim all 4 edges of each mat and allow a good 8 cm excess per mat too.
- Fabric glue like, I’ll never sew again. Again, this stuff’s available online and from any craft store.
- Pencil if you’ve got tailor’s chalk, go ahead and use that, but don’t sweat it, this pencil line will get covered up!
- Ruler
- Scissors any sharp pair will do, but fabric scissors will give you the crispest line.
…And that’s it! Not too bad at all hey?
For the sake of ease, we used an IKEA placemat we already had, that was the size we wanted, and simply marked out our cut lines using the old mat as a template.
To be honest, even if you don’t have an old placemat, it’d be a swell idea to cut yourself a template out of card, because it really beats measuring every single placemat out of your fabric, and ultimately they don’t need to be perfect! Not only will the pompom trim hide most indiscretions, but a slight wonk, or inconsistency in size gives them that rustic handmade charm we love!
You’re looking to get the crispest edge possible, which can be a little tricky with hessian, as it frays like there’s no tomorrow. Cut as straight as you can, going with the grain of the fabric and be sure to trim off any frayed edges.
Ok, cracking on…
Once all your fabric is cut up (phew! That was a bit of a task hey?! It’ll be SO worth it, I promise!) you need to measure your pompom trim out.
A couple of tips for doing this:
- Measure as you go along you’ll find this way less tedious than cutting all the strips at once, and it’ll help you reduce waste, as not all the mats will be completely identical, that’s just how it is with handmade!
- Be prepared to sacrifice a few poms it’s a woeful thing, yes, but you’ll find that as you cut your trim, the length often measures mid pompom. Don’t try and reattach the pompom, if you love him, let him go!
- Don’t stretch it when you’re measuring you really MUST NOT stretch the trim. It’s so tempting, I know, but if anything, cut the strips a little longer, you can trim any excess after the gluing stage, and if you cut it exactly to length and find yourself stretching the trim, your placemat edges will curl up. Nope, not cool. So just don’t stretch, ok?
If you find any, don’t pull them as this will give you a frayed, rather than crisp edge to sit behind your trim when it’s applied. Instead, simply cut the fraying piece as close to the edge as possible (as in the above shot) to reduce it coming away further.
Once your trim has been attached, the glue will prevent any further fraying!
(I told you this no sew business was magic!)
Now, babes. The temptation here is to rush things. If you’re anything like me, I can guarantee you’ll get all like:
“OMGSH OMGSH! The end is in sight! I am like, one teeny step away from absolute pompom heaven, I can almost feel the happiness already!”
And then you’ll rush.
And then you’ll squirt glue everywhere.
And then your life will be ruined.
Am I talking from experience? Yes. Girl, you gotta keep that pom-session under control and go steadily through this final stage to ace it.
Fabric glue. For those of you who’re new to this, a few bits worth mentioning:
- You don’t need much this stuff is pretty adhesive, especially when sticking fabric to fabric. Less is more, honeys!
- What a difference a minute makes this short wait time will make the glue so much tackier, it’ll stick instantly when applied to the fabric! So always read the tube and stick to their advice! (Yes, pun totally intended)
- Try out different application techniques so I wasn’t really game for sacrificing a paint brush for this DIY (I love you guys n’all but I just couldn’t do it) so I applied the glue straight from the tube using SUPER gentle pressure. However, if you’ve got a lot of these to do, get yourself a set of cheap (like cheap as you can find) thin brushes, or maybe even one of those little plastic applicators your used to use way back in primary school, remember these? Major nostalgia! And squeeze onto your brush/applicator first to avoid any big blobs on your trim!
…Babes, just watch that magic happen! Gah! SO exciting.
Apply the trim as close to the edge of your mat as possible, we don’t want any hessian showing through behind the pompoms, and apply gentle pressure the whole way along, on the top and underside, to ensure a firm stick.
Remember: do NOT stretch your pompom trim, we don’t want curled up corners once your glue has dried!
Aren’t they just the raddest, yet most simple little design you ever did see?!
We heart. Big time!
All that remains, is to add the cutest hand painted Moroccan tableware you can find in a complementary colour and you’ll get those pompoms really popping!
They’re bright, cheerful and fun without becoming overbearing, which we love. These warm colours, and the mix of shapes and texture are just perfect for any (and every!) summer wedding, be it in a barn, a tipi or open air!
Any questions, please do drop us a comment below, we’re happy to help you guys ace our DIYs, so please don’t hesitate to ask!
Have a rad Thursday, honeys!
Peace Love
Clare X
