Brown Bag Place Mat

Use a weaving technique, a recycled paper bag and eco-friendly craft products to make an attractive and earth-friendly place mat. All the products used to create this charming place mat are eco friendly. The tacky Green Glue is completely botanical. Even the paints contain no or low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).

Materials:

• Brown Paper Grocery Bag
• Eco Green Crafts™ Green Glue™
• Eco Green Crafts™ Acrylic Paint
• Eco Green Crafts™ Gloss Medium

Instructions:

Make Strips

1. Deconstruct paper bag.
    
2. Measure and cut 2-inch-wide strips along the entire length of the bag.
    
3. Working with one strip at a time,dampen the strip with water to remove any creases. Fold down 1⁄4" along one edge of the length of strip, as shown.
   
   
    
4. Fold the opposite side so that it just overlaps the edge of the previous fold, as shown.
   
   
    
5. With the iron set on high, iron the strips to dry and flatten them, and to strengthen the creases.
   
   
    
6. Apply a thin line of Green Glue™ along the 1⁄4" edge.
   
   
    
7. Turn strip over (folded side down); iron strip smooth.
   
   
    
8. Repeat process to create a total of eleven 24" strips and seventeen 18" strips.

Weave and Finish

9. With tape, affix the 24” strips to a piece of cardboard as shown.
   
   
    
10. Weave shorter strips through longer strips, alternating each strip, as shown; affix each strip with Green Glue™ and allow to dry.
    
    
     
11. Remove the cardboard and tape; cut the ends of each strip to about ¾”.
     
12. Paint as desired with Eco Green Crafts™ Acrylic Paint; allow to dry.
     
13. Brush entire surface with Eco Green Crafts Gloss Medium; allow to dry.
     
14. Roughen / distress the surface of the mat with sandpaper as desired
     

Learn more about Eco Green Crafts. Also, check out similar crafts in our 17 Recycled Handmade Paper Crafts collection.