Valentine placemats

By Pamela Sheldon Johns and Jennifer Barry

These placemats add a loving touch to your Valentine's Day table setting.

These placemats are an easy way to personalize your own valentine table setting. You will need access to a personal computer, scanner, colour ink-jet printer, and desktop pubishing software, all of which are available at copy centres nationwide.

You need:
• Iron
• 12 by 18-inch cotton or linen placemats
• Personal computer and desktop publishing software
• Typefaces and copyright-free heart artwork
• 8-1/2 by 11-inch iron-on transfer paper for use in ink-jet printers (available at office and craft supply stores)
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Bath towel

To make:
1. Iron the placemats well before starting project.

2. Create heart artwork on a personal computer using copyright-free artwork. We used 10 large 2-inch hearts and 4 small 7/8-inch hearts.

3. Make a template of your placemat design on the computer and size and place the heart artwork to fit comfortably within the template. Print out a copy of your template at full size and set aside. This template will be used later for positioning your iron-on transfers.

4. Copy and place all the heart artwork in an upright position on a new 8-1/2 by 11-inch page template, leaving a 1/2-inch space between all elements. Choose a colour for the hearts. We chose a bright red. Print the hearts on the transfer paper using a colour ink-jet printer. Using scissors, cut them out, trimming within 1/8 inch of the printed edge to avoid a glossy halo after ironing.

5. Tape a placemat to a window or large light box with the placemat template centered underneath it. Using single, small pieces, tape each heart transfer into position.

6. Remove the placemat from the window or light box and place on top of a clean towel on a hard work surface near an electrical outlet for the iron.

7. After removing the tape, iron on each transfer according to the ironing instructions that accompany the transfer paper. Let cool for 3 minutes and carefully peel away the transfer backing. Repeat the process for multiple placemats.

Tip: Be sure to follow the laundering and ironing instructions that accompany the transfer paper when washing the placemats.

Find more great craft ideas on the Canadian Living Craft Blog.

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