Take some cheap dollar store placemats and turn them into a bright and colorful DIY Placemat Handbag with a sew or glue method!

“Take me with you, I start to miss you…”
– Cross My Heart, Mariana’s Trench

If you’re a pop punker, power pop, whatever you’re into and haven’t heard of Mariana’s Trench, you’re missing out. I firmly believe they’re Canada’s appology for Justin Bieber (because all of this is after Celine Dion who is a national treasure).

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You guys! I made a thing. Okay so that’s basically how I start every day of my life. But seriously, I kinda love it. This project? It was made while on a binge of the Mariana’s Trench Pandora Station while it was 100+ degrees outside and my bedroom doesn’t have AC. I do have an evaporative cooler, but that is beside the point. To say that sweat went into this placemat handbag is an understatement… okay that’s gross. Ignore that. BUT this I gotta say is pretty cool. I even put pom poms on it and you know how I feel about pom poms. AND it’s ORANGE!!! So bright and sunny! And you can change out the pom poms for fall should you feel like it!

Make it: DIY Abstract Flamingo Bag

Time: 2 hours or less
Cost: $10 or less
Dork level: 2 – it’s pretty classy. You can dork it up with fun keychains if you want!

DIY Placemat Handbag

What you need:
2 round placemats from the Dollar Store
Sewing machine OR Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue® OR Hot Glue
Wooden handles
Matching color embroidery thread and embroidery needle
Wooden handles

Make It: Animal Butt Magnets

Start by folding over the top 1/3 of each placemat and secure it with a safety pin. Glue the inside with Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue® or hot glue to secure it down or sew the top edge of the fold. – let dry if you’re using glue

Match the fold sides inside and pin the outside edge around with safety pins. Sew around the outside edge right up to the folded area. It’s even easier if you’re glueing!

To attach the handles, position the handle centered so that 2/3 of the handle is above the fold. Secure down by loop stitching with embroidery thread and needle with 5-7 secure points. Secure each side and the center first and then add points on each side.

Do the same for the second. Trim up threads and glue down the stray embroidery thread to make sure knots hold.

Embellish however you feel like! Pom poms, tassels, have at it!

Don’t forget to PIN to your fashion or DIY boards!