Jute webbing is commonly used by gardeners for holding plants and young trees upright without damage. Used in a more creative way, it also makes a smart and very cost-effective craft material.
No tricky techniques or special tools are required here, you just snip, weave and glue your way to simple placemats and a table runner.
And you can customise the sizes to suit your table and crockery. You can even try jute of different widths for other projects, such as drink coasters.
Plus, if you want to add colour, you can paint stripes or weave ribbon through them to tie in with your theme.
The method is very quick and easy, you cut strips of jute webbing and create a cross-hatch design. In weaving, the crosswise strips are called the weft and the lengthwise are the warp.
To make a square placemat or rectangular table runner you weave and glue the strips together. To finish, run it through a sewing machine to hem the edges.
For the full step-by-step instructions and pictures to make a woven table runner and placemats, get the project sheet here.
For more can-do craft projects, get the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens in selected supermarkets and newsagents, or buy online here.
