Locket App

One of the most cherished items I own is
the placemats that my grandmother made
years ago. They were homemade, and with
love! The time, thought, and investment she
made was well worth every single effort.

Grandma would make placemats of photo
and card collages. She saved every card
she received from family and friends from
all holidays, birthday cards, thinking of
you letters, and more. She always took
photos of everything imaginable. This
included time we spent on the porch,
I can recall that Grandpa might flash a
quick shot of us sitting and talking about
the weather, or the birds in the birdbath.

I would now love to share the process of
placemat creation. One day, we all sat
down to learn how to make the placemats
ourselves. That way, this tradition could be
passed down for generations to come!
Grandma would use either a large round
jar top or square coaster and trace the
parts of the cards or photos with a pencil
that would be going on to the placemat
project.

She would carefully cut them. They
would be placed on a thin cardboard
piece of paper. Grandma would navigate
the placement of each photo or car when
deciding the ideal spot for each. It was
important to leave no empty areas.
From there, she would glue and let the
pieces dry. Once the first side was dry,
it could be turned over, and the same steps
were followed. This way, the placemat
could be turned to either side when used.
The next step was getting the clear
contact (shelf liner) paper. It would be
rolled out long enough to ensure that
every area was covered; that way the
sides would stick together. It also left
room to spare for the cut. That way, the
sides would stick together. It was
important to be extra careful as the mat
was placed on the sticky side.
This was to make sure it went down
straight. We then followed the same steps
on the other side.

The placemats were all different sizes.
Some were rectangles, and others were
with circled edges all the way around.

It was always delightful spending time over
at our grandparents' home when we would
eat our meals. It was so much fun looking
through the different treasures that were on
the placemats. Sometimes Grandma would
use little notes or signatures in the spaces
from cards or letters from loved ones. That
was extra special!

All different themes were widely used with
some of the placemats. There was Christmas,
fall, Easter, summer, and special events
(birthdays, weddings, etc.) They were used
at the dinner table, but also as a mat for
centerpieces, flowers, and candy dishes
around the home.

I have continued this tradition with my own
children. We've also added photos from
magazines, old books, and fun card stock
from various craft stores. The kids love
making their own creations, and then
admiring their creative work when it's
completed!!

Don't waste any time! Get your photos
uploaded to the Locket APP and printed
at your retailer of choice. Once you get
the images, you can begin creating your
very own placemats to cherish!

If you are interested in a Zoom workshop
where you could learn with a group of
people, ask questions, and just have
loads of fun. Please reach out to Kristi
Lyons at [email protected] for more
details. Just put placemats in the subject!