Friday, November 6, 2009

Cheater Chargers--A tutorial


My mother and Sister-in-law always set beautiful tables. They have a vareity of table linens, decorations, candles, etc. Since this is definitely not the season for additonal expenses for table decor, I wanted to inexpensively add some color to go under my pretty dishes. Off to the closet I went and found a remnant of quilted holiday happiness. With stripes on one side and pretty trees on the other, I got to work. You won't believe how fast these went together.
First, I cut 13 inch circles.
Second, I pinned and sewed the bias tape around the perimeter.


Third, by folding back the raw edge and sewing to the end, the charger is finished.
The fun part is that they are reversible. You can quickly make these! I made our six from cutting to finish in an hour (while addressing the needs of my kiddos). This is a fun idea for the holidays--you could quilt your own and have one side be for fall/Thanksgiving and the other side be for winter/Christmas/Hannakah. I'm thinking we might need these for birthdays, too. They also work as trivets.
Hope you enjoy this idea and make some of your own.

11 comments:

RosaMarĂ­a said...

that is a great idea! thanks for sharing!

Leslie said...

what a very fun idea!

Anne said...

What a cool idea!! I posted a link to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-cheater-charger-placemats/2009/11/07/

--Anne

SandyQuilts said...

Thanks for sharing your idea ... I might borrow it. They are adorable. thanks.

Bethany @ The Paper Pony said...

I LOVE this idea. Chargers really do make a difference in a place setting! Great job.

Helen said...

I think this is great Can I use this on my blog to share with others Let me know

Heather said...

This is beyond amazing. Thank you times a million!!! :)

tlnovak said...

I love the look of chargers, but have always hesitated to buy any because they would take up valuable cupboard space and be one more thing to clean and put away after a holiday meal. I was just wondering the other day if a similar look could be had with a round placemat. Thank you for posting this. I will be making some of these for my holiday table.

Anonymous said...

You are brilliant!

Petit Design Co. said...

that is a great idea!

Kim @ Everything Etsy said...

You're good! I love it!

Kim