Homemade... Child Made Place Mats

 Due to inquires of how I made these place mats I will reveal my secret. Well it is not really a secret. It is really quite simple even a child could do it... oh wait children did. With my help that is.
First you need clear contact paper (I bought mine at Target in the home cleaning supply area where shelf paper is), then paper for a drawing, Confetti or the tin thinga ma bobs I have here. Can not for the life of me think of what they are called. You could use glitter even. Once you have the things you want to use to build your place mat you are ready to move on to the next step.
The contact paper will be folded over the top of the drawing with the edges meeting at the bottom of the place mat so you need to plan enough contact paper per sheet you cut. You will also need to cut the contact paper for each place mat (do not peel from paper yet) leaving room to decorate each side.
Begin to peel the contact paper from the bottom. Once you get half way, sticky side up, place your drawing in the middle of the contact paper. Then decorate the sides of the sticky contact paper with what you have chosen. Make sure you leave room at the side edges and the bottom, for the contact paper to stick to each other. Once finished proceed to peel the paper the rest of the way off. Fold the contact paper (how many times have I said contact paper?) over the top and smooth out as you lay it down. Forcing the air bubbles to the edge. Don't worry if the edges don't meet perfectly, you can trim them with scissors. 

Then there you have it, a place mat that holds a memory and conquers an art project for your child!

 I write name, the age of the child and the date just for memory sake. Also I have the child dictate something they want me to write on their place mat. Or you could have them write it if they are able.

Below is the other side of these place mats. My girls love tea parties so this craft was made just before we sat down to a tea party. You could decorate one side with a current photo of your child. You could do educational place mats, Holiday place mats, cute things your child says place mat, a training place mat of how to set the table, favorite animal theme, dinosaur theme... possibilities are endless.

 

On my youngest daughter's place mat I wrote at the top, "Hands Down the Best Meal Ever!" Hey I take my compliments where I can get them, even if I wrote it myself.

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