Thrifty Crafting | Placemat Clutch

I previously posted about a Faux Alligator Placemat that I used to make an adorable clutch. The other day I went to World Market and was amazed at their selection of adorable placemats! I loved the patterns! And the best part? The opposite side is a complementary colored pattern that goes great with the front pattern! You literally just have to fold the bottom up about 1/3 of the way and sew along the edges! 

For the bag above I did trim it a little on the sides and added a piece of sew-in interfacing to add stability. With the placemat disassembled I also added a magnetic snap closure. I then placed the two pieces right side together and sewed along the edges leaving an opening for turning. Once it was turned right sides out I folded the bottom up 1/3 of the way and sewed the edges and topstitched the flap. I love how it turned out! I used some of the material I trimmed off to make a strap for the side so it can be used as a wristlet. 

Next time I think what I am going to do (to save time, because really this should be a super fast project that I unintentionally made longer than it needed to be by taking the placemat apart) is just fold the bottom up and sew the sides. After that I will attach the magnetic snap. Since the snap will be showing on the top of the flap I think I am going to use some complementary colored fabric to make a fabric covered button and then glue it (with E6000 glue) to the back part of the magnetic snap that will be showing on the flap. 

I definitely recommend checking out World Market for placemats if there is one near you! They also have super cute napkins that I saw on sale that would be great for little zipper pouches or small bags. If there isn't a World Market near you then you might want to check Pier One, I'm sure they have great stuff that is comparable!