12 Crafts of Christmas: Day 12 - Santa's Snack Mat

The big man is on his way! Putting out snacks is a lovely family tradition and this mat makes a fun activity for young children on Christmas Eve. Not only that, but we guarantee that giving Santa a placemat will lessen those pesky cookie or mince pie crumbs that he seems to trail behind him as he dashes off to the next house, encouraging him to take a proper break in line with sleigh safety regulations. Send us your photos or tag us on Instagram: @CotswoldCurtains #CC12CraftsOfChristmas 

You will need:

Two pieces of fabric, A4 size
Additional pieces of fabric for your ‘plate’, ‘glass’, ‘carrot’ and ‘crumbs’
Pinking shears
Batting fabric
A sewing machine
Paper templates printed from this document

Method:

Cut out your two pieces of fabric (A4 size) with pinking shears, and two pieces of batting to match using regular fabric scissors. Iron fabric flat. 

Cut out the template pieces and then cut each shape from the fabric of your choice using pinking shears, and iron. 

Arrange the shapes on the top piece of A4 fabric and pin down. 

Using the sewing machine, stitch around the edges of each shape in a contrasting thread. 

For the lettering, you can either hand-stitch or do freehand embroidery with your machine if you feel confident! Use your own font design. 

Layer the fabric with the batting in the middle, like a sandwich. 

Stitch around the edges. 

Iron your finished mat, then leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve, covered in snacks! Keep out of reach of pets if you want to stay off Santa’s ‘Naughty’ list!