DIY Quilted Halloween Placemats 🎃🧵

Looking to add a festive (and handmade!) touch to your Halloween tablescape? These quilted placemats are simple, scrap-friendly, and perfect for both seasonal or year-round décor. Plus, they make great gifts!

Materials Needed

• Template: Cardboard box or rigid material cut to 12.5" x 18.5" (I used an Amazon box!)

• Fabric:

• Two different fabrics (front + back): 2 yards of each for 10 placemats.
  • I used Home Sweet Haunt by Moda - Home Sweet Haunt - Moda Fabrics
• All one fabric: 4 yards total (2 yards yields 5 placemats)
• Scrappy: use whatever material you have on hand and make simple patchwork or striped (recommend this only if making 2-4 placemats for time savings, but you do you!)

• Batting: A perfect project for piecing together scraps

• Binding: 1 yard of fabric, cut into 2.5" x WOF strips. I used Witchy Woods terrifying Tick Stripe by Lewis and Irene - 

• Tools & Notions:

1. Rotary cutter - Creative Grids Rotary Cutter
2. 24" quilting ruler - Omni Grip 6" x 24" non slip quilting ruler
3. Marking tool
4. Walking foot
5. 40wt thread in a complimentary color - Aurifil Cotton 50wt Thread
6. Spray basting product
7. Starch + iron - Best Press Starch

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Create Your Template

Cut a 12.5" x 18.5" rectangle from cardboard or other sturdy material. You can also cut directly from fabric, but a template makes the process quicker and more consistent.

2. Prep the Fabric

Starch and press your fabric really well. Keep yardage folded selvedge to selvedge for efficient cutting.

3. Cut Fabric & Batting

Use your template and a marking tool to trace the placemat shape. Then cut with a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. Since your fabric is folded, each cut yields two placemat panels (one front, one back). Repeat until you have all your pieces. Do the same for batting.

4. Baste the Layers

Spray baste the front and back fabric to the batting, ensuring both sides are smooth and flat.

5. Quilt Your Placemats

Time to quilt! I used a walking foot with 40wt black thread. First, I stitched around the perimeter (2.5 stitch length) to stabilize and prevent shifting. Then I quilted a classic diamond crosshatch using the bar guide that attaches to my walking foot with a 3.5 stitch length. You can go as simple or intricate as you’d like here! If you're feeling jazzy you could also send these to your longarmer for snappy finish.. I might do this next time because, well... I kind of hate machine quilting....

6. Bind the Placemats

For binding, cut 2.5" WOF strips and join them diagonally. Press in half lengthwise. Attach binding to the back of the placemat by machine, then fold over and topstitch to the front for a clean finish.

Finished Project ✨

That’s it! In just a few steps, you’ll have a stack of festive placemats perfect for Halloween entertaining. The best part? You can swap out the fabric to suit any season or everyday table setting.

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