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"WHAT LOOKS GOOD?" TAKES ON NEW MEANING when you scan your pantry with an eye
for color and pattern, judging boxes of pasta and cereal by their covers, so to
speak. Use the boxes we chose for our placemats, or any that catch your eye. For
the Fourth of July, we chose packaging with patriotic colors, but you can also
use any contrasting colors that appeal to you or coordinate with rooms in your
home.
If you'll be making a number of placemats, save boxes as you finish
their contents so you'll have plenty of "material" on hand. You might even want
to ask friends to save their empty boxes for you. No one minds having less trash
to throw away. And that's one of the best parts of this project--you'll transform what would have been tossed out into something brand
new!
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Produced by Kathy Curotto •
Text by Jane Asper •
Project Crafted by Nancy Rosenbaum
YOU WILL NEED:
Cartons, packaging, and/or decorative paper
scraps
Posterboard
Scissors
X-Acto® knife
Double-sided adhesive
paper
Glue
1⁄4"-wide chart tape or colored decorative tape (choose a
color that coordinates with your boxes)
1" diameter hole punch
Metal
straight edge or ruler
HOW TO MAKE `EM:
Use the templates to cut out shapes that, when
assembled as shown, form quilt-like patterns. Our guides for
each design tell you how many of each shape you will need.
Print Template ONE
Print Template TWO
DESIGN ONE
1. Trace templates for basic shapes onto posterboard
and cut out.
2. For this placemat, we used cartons from Prince Rotini
Pasta, Barilla Pasta, De Cecco Pasta, Pepsi, and Coke. Use whatever you have
on hand, but choose cartons that have large areas of bright color.
Avoid areas of black printing, bar codes, etc.
3. Use templates to trace
on the backs of cartons, being careful to place them in the right colored
areas for the pattern of your design. Cut out shapes with an X-Acto
knife.
4. Make circles using 1" round hole punch.
5. Cut 15 pieces of
double-sided adhesive paper 4"x 4" each. Patchwork blocks will be assembled
individually.
6. Remove paper from one side of the double-sided adhesive
paper. Lay on work surface, sticky side up. Lay out pieces as shown to create
each patchwork block. Trim excess adhesive paper from edge of square after
cardboard components are pressed in place. Set aside. Repeat to make
remaining 14 blocks.
7. Measure out 11 1⁄4"- x 15"- piece of
posterboard, which will become the backing for the placemat. To adhere
patchwork blocks to backing, remove the adhesive paper's film from the back
of each block and press in position on posterboard, following design
as shown. Glue circles on rectangles as shown.
8. To apply chart tape or
colored tape, roll it over seams between cardboard pieces and clip with
an X-Acto knife at the end of each intersection.
9. Place a sheet of paper
over seams and burnish taped areas gently with the back of a spoon.
DESIGN TWO
1. Trace templates on posterboard and cut out.
2. For this
placemat, we used cartons from SunMaid Raisins, Special K Cereal, Prince
Jumbo Stuffing Shells, Pepsi, and Coke. We also used red-and-white
polka-dot paper.
3. Continue with steps 3 through 9 in Design One.
TIPS
1. To make these placemats reusable, have
them laminated
at the copy shop. Or do it yourself with clear Contac®
paper. Be
sure to include a 1⁄4" border of Contac paper all the way around,
so
the mat will be totally encased.
2. To dress up your kitchen, make
several different mats, all the same size. Frame them and hang in
a group
next to your kitchen table.
3. Consider themes in your
choice of packaging
for each mat--either by color, type, or
graphics.
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