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Twice as Nice Table Runner

Twice as Nice Table Runner

This table runner looks like a stack of Christmas gifts, but if you take a closer look you'll see the "gifts" are actually a series of placemats buttoned together! Use the table runner to update your holiday table setting, or unbutton the placemats and use on their own.

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes
Make as many placemats as you'd like to button together into the table runner. The fabric amounts listed below are for each placemat.

- 15" x 15" piece of lightweight print canvas for each placemat
- 17" x 5" piece of lightweight solid-colored canvas for each placemat
- 20" x 20" wide piece of lightweight solid-colored canvas for each placemat
- 1 3/4 yards of 1 1/2" wide ribbon for each placemat
- Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100)
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- Air-erase pen for marking
- Medium-sized buttons
- Craft knife and cutting pad
- Needle and thread for some hand sewing

For this tutorial, I used the  Damask Poinsettia Border  and  Damask Mistletoe Border . Browse through our other  Christmas border designs  to find something that matches your preference and decor.

Finished Size:  One placemat is 16" x 17 1/2". Three placemats buttoned together makes a table runner that is 16" x 50".

Gather Materials:

Prepare the fabric for the tops of the placemats by dividing a rectangle into quadrants so the border designs can be stitched evenly on the placemat.

On the solid-colored canvas, draw a 17" x 5" rectangle.

Leave a few inches of excess fabric around the edges of the rectangle.

Mark the center of the two horizontal lines of the rectangle. Then, draw a line connecting the marks, bisecting the rectangle. Mark the center of this line.

Hand holding a blue pen marks horizontal lines on a red fabric using a clear ruler, placed on a wooden surface.

Measure and mark the center point on each side of the rectangle. Draw a horizontal line connecting the marks. Measure and mark the center of the horizontal lines to the left and right of the vertical center line.

Print a template of the border design from embroidery software. We recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)


Arrange the templates on the rectangle so that the center points are in the center of each quadrant. There should be at least 1" of space between the edges of the designs and the outer edges of the rectangle.

Hand holding blue pencil tracing a black floral stencil onto a red fabric with marked embroidery guidelines on a wooden surface.

Start Embroidering:

Spray cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top.


Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together to stitch one of the designs, and align the marks on the fabric with the marks on the hoop.


Embroider the design.

Rectangular white embroidery hoop on red fabric with faint pencil grid lines; wooden floor background partially visible on right side.

When the design has finished, trim the stabilizer away from the back.

Hoop the fabric for the second design, and embroider.

Hand holding orange scissors cutting white fabric with green embroidered floral vine next to red fabric on wooden surface.

After the second design has finished, trim away the excess stabilizer from the back.

Cut out the rectangle shape.

Red fabric strip with green and white floral embroidery laid on wood surface, yellow-handled scissors cutting the fabric on the right side.

Cut a piece of lightweight print canvas to 15" x 15".

Align the bottom edge of the rectangle shape with the top edge of the print canvas. Place right sides together.

Pin in place and sew a seam along the pinned edge only. This is the assembled front piece.

Red and white paisley patterned fabric with folded red edge featuring green floral embroidery, lying on a wooden surface with a label.

Fold the back seam down with the top piece fabric facing up; press.

Close-up of a work surface with a piece of red fabric and a small white strip featuring green vine embroidery, next to a white Phillips iron on a blue surface.


Next, add the ribbon strip. Cut a piece of ribbon 18" and pin it in place along the center front of the assembled front piece.

Sew a 1/4" seam along each long edge of the ribbon.

Red paisley fabric piece with a green vertical strip pinned in the center, attached to a red fabric strip featuring embroidered green holly and red berries.


Place the assembled front piece on top of the solid-colored canvas, right sides together. Pin in place.

Cut around the shape.

Partially sewn fabric pieces on dark wood table: paisley pattern in red and white, solid red fabric, two white rectangular patches with green embroidery, orange scissors.

Sew a 1/2" seam along the sides and bottom edges. Leave the top open for turning.

Trim the corners under the rectangle shape.

Cut a 1/2" slit at each inner corner, being careful to not cut the seams. When turned right-side out, the slit allows the fabric to lay better.


Fabric pieces in light green and cream with paisley and floral patterns are pinned and partially sewn; orange scissors cut excess fabric on a wooden surface.

Turn the placemat right side out and press the seams. Then, fold the fabric of the top edges in 1/2" and press.

Top stitch a 1/4" seam around the entire outer edge of the placemat.

Green fabric with red floral embroidery and a red satin strip is being ironed with a white iron on a blue surface.

To make the bow, cut 40" of 1 1/2" wide ribbon.

Form two equal-sized loops.

Hand holding one end of a red satin ribbon on a wood grain surface, with the ribbon arranged in two loops side by side.

Bring the right loop over the left loop.

Hand holding red satin ribbon woven into a crossed, looped pattern on a wood grain surface, suggesting the start of a ribbon craft or bow.

Then, bring the right loop around the back of the left loop and then through the bottom opening.

Hand with a wedding ring folding a red satin ribbon bow on a dark wooden surface, the ribbon is flat and smooth with a wide width.

Pull the loops tight, adjust by pulling on the tails, and trim the tails to the length you want.

Hand holding one end of a red satin ribbon tied in a simple bow on a dark wood surface background.


Next, add the buttons and button holes.

Place a button at the top center of the placemat, about 1/2" from the top edge. Mark the bottom of the button.

Sew a buttonhole starting at the mark that you made. Cut it open with a craft knife and cutting pad.

Close-up of a hand sewing green thread by a green flower-shaped button on red fabric sewn to green and white floral fabric, on a dark wood table.

Sew the button on the bottom center of the placemat, about 1/2" from the bottom edge.


Hand decorating red and patterned fabric table runner with green floral embroidery using white fabric marker. A green flower embellishment is attached.

Add the bow just under the buttonhole. Hand sew it in place.

Green fabric with detailed white paisley patterns, topped with a lighter green band embroidered with red flowers and green leaves, tied with a wide red satin bow. A hand is adjusting the bow on a wooden surface.

The embroidered sections of these placemats and ribbon detail mimic the look of a bow on a gift box.

Use the gifts buttoned together as a table runner, or unbutton to use as placemats on their own.

Place setting with white plate on red paisley fabric placemat with green fabric napkin ring holding green cloth napkin, silver fork, knife, spoon, wooden surface.