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Modern Art from a Placemat

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February 28, 2012 By Jackie

The placemats at West Elm are always a work of art, so I framed one as such.

This grey Moroccan print placemat caught my eye on a recent shopping trip. It was one of those “I love it, but have no idea what I am going to do with it” things. I loved the print and could not resist buying just one $9 placemat.

West Elm Grey Moroccan Placemat

I thought first of making the placemat into a pillow cover for the bed, but ultimately decided it was too small. I still wanted to incorporate this print into our master bedroom. The plan for our bedroom is centered around an amazing mix of fabrics to give the room a “luxury hotel from a faraway land” feel.

I made an impulse buy at the art supply store when I spotted a modern black 16 x 20 frame on sale for $23 and a museum quality mat for $16. I knew it would be great to fill the empty wall space above the chest of drawers. I don’t want my washi tape lamp to be all alone anymore.

Placemat + Frame = Modern Art!

When thinking about what to put in the frame, I remembered the placemat. I am no stranger to framing fabric. I framed a piece to finish off the gallery wall and framed a series of small swatches in the kitchen.  The grey in the placemat ties into the tiny grey stripes on the washi tape used to line the lampshade.  They make a handsome pair.

Framed Placemat as Art

It does not look like West Elm carries this particular placemat anymore, but here are a few other placemats and napkins in their current collection that would make great art:
  • Duck Feet Napkin Set
  • Fanned Placemat Set

Tips on Framing Fabric:

  • Press the fabric really well to remove all creases and wrinkles
  • Lint roll the fabric…actually lint roll your work surface too
  • Secure the fabric to the back of the picture mat with painter’s tape.  Pull the fabric taught and tape all around the edge.
  • Optional: Skip the glass.  For the placemat I went glass-less.  I wanted to see the full texture of the fabric instead of the glare of a pane of glass.  I would not recommend this for sentimental or vintage pieces that may be better protected under glass.

I am a bit worried about dust on the mat and fabric.  But I love the glass-less look.  What do you think?  Is skipping the glass risky?

Sharing this project here:
Shabby Nest
Tatertots and Jello

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Comments

  1. MB says

    February 28, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Great idea! I love that you went glass-less because I have a nice new 8×10 frame that I accidentally stepped on and broke the glass. Now I can still use it! Thanks for the idea.

  2. [email protected] says

    February 28, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    I love it. You may want to live with the glassless look for awhile and see how it does. I think glass would make it look more finished, but I see your point about the glare.

  3. Danielle says

    February 28, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    I agree with Lisa… it looks great glassless, but you can always change it up later too. The fabric looks amazing framed and I love it next to the lamp. Pretty!

  4. [email protected] Design for Living says

    March 4, 2012 at 10:30 am

    Looks fantastic Jackie! So simple, yet eye-catching.

  5. [email protected] much time says

    March 9, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    nice…so simple and elegant. I also see SO many placemats I love and this is a great way for me to use ’em!I would be totally excited if you stopped by to link these up this weekend at my party:)
    Kim

    http://too-much-time.com/2012/03/get-schooled-saturday-13.html

  6. [email protected] says

    March 9, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    Hi Jackie! The upscale frame and mat make your placemat look so decadent! I’ve bought a few vinyl placemats thinking that they would be a good background for something in a frame but this is so much more refined and sophisticated. Lovely! Awesome blog name, too :)

  7. Miranda says

    August 10, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    There is glass that is absolutely glare-less. You can’t tell there’s glass there at all. I think it’s pricey though. I love your project – I’m going to do it myself. Been looking for inexpensive ways to decorate my master suite.

Trackbacks

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