If you’re following along on how to make your own Montessori weaning placemats, here’s the supply list and my favorite embroidery tutorials (they’re super short).
I made these placemats because when I looked up Montessori weaning placemats they were really expensive. I browsed a few tutorials, didn’t love anything I found, so I made my own. I had all the supplies for this project on hand. This is a great way to better use placemats a relative may have given you that live in a drawer, serving no purpose! Let those placemats be used and used joyfully.
DIY Montessori Placemat Supplies
- Placemats: Have as many placemats as you plan on making. I recommend something slightly smaller than an adult placemat. You want it to be toddler sized. Our placemats are vintage cotton placemats from Will’s gran. They were too small for our plates, so they’re perfect for this project. A thrift store would be a great place to find some.
- Pattern supplies: Gather printer paper, scissors, and a pencil.
- Your child’s weaning utensils: These are all actually used by Bash, except for the cup. I used a cup with a larger top opening to make it easier for Bash to place his cup on the actual placemat. Our silverware, plates/bowls, and actual cups we use are from Ikea.
- Embroidery floss and small embroidery hoop: I bought this kit.
- Thread Magic: This is to stiffen and waterproof your floss (it helps it hold up to washes).
- Disappearing Ink Pen: I pulled this out of my sewing stash. I’ve had it for almost ten years…
Embroidery Tutorials
My embroidery skills are basic. My grandma actually taught me to embroider as a kid. I recently used these tutorials to brush up. I chose a split stitch for this project.
- Embroidery for beginners
- How to Embroider a Monogram (this isn’t a monogram, but this is a super simple embroidery tutorial and the principles are the same)
Keep an eye out for the full tutorial. To see directions sooner, click on the DIY stories on the Working Montessori IG.
Tag your project with #workingmontessoriDIY so I can see your placemats!
