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
- Deconstruct paper bag.
- Measure and cut 2-inch-wide strips along the entire length of the bag.
- 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.
- Fold the opposite side so that it just overlaps the edge of the previous fold, as shown.
- With the iron set on high, iron the strips to dry and flatten them, and to strengthen the creases.
- Apply a thin line of Green Glue™ along the 1⁄4" edge.
- Turn strip over (folded side down); iron strip smooth.
- Repeat process to create a total of eleven 24" strips and seventeen 18" strips.
Weave and Finish
- With tape, affix the 24” strips to a piece of cardboard as shown.
- Weave shorter strips through longer strips, alternating each strip, as shown; affix each strip with Green Glue™ and allow to dry.
- Remove the cardboard and tape; cut the ends of each strip to about ¾”.
- Paint as desired with Eco Green Crafts™ Acrylic Paint; allow to dry.
- Brush entire surface with Eco Green Crafts Gloss Medium; allow to dry.
- 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.
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Crafting On A Dime
Apr 29, 2011
I love this idea. I am going to re post this on my twitter page and also on my blog. Great idea. This would make a great craft for my kids this summer.br br Thanks for sharingbr happy crafting, Kellie
Ms Junket from Dow n Under
Feb 21, 2011
I LOVE this and have reposted it to my site: http://thejunkwave.com/2011/02/22/how-to-recycle-paper-bags-magazines-or-newspapers-into-an-upcycled-place-mat/ Of course I gave you credit for the idea and the photographs. I have made these with magazine pages and coloured newspaper too - the look is eclectic and rustic. With a crazy dinner service on them, they look divine.
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