Placemats for Everyday and Holiday Tables

How to Choose a Placemat

Start with the shape of your table and the look you want. Round placemats suit round and oval tables, and they soften the edge of a square table too. Rectangular placemats line up neatly on long dining tables and work well with straight-edged plates.

Think about the mood. A matte woven mat reads casual. A glossy finish reads dressier. A printed Christmas mat sets a holiday table without much effort.

Material matters for daily life. Silicone wipes clean in seconds and handles spills well. Fabric mats feel warmer and softer under a plate, and most here are machine washable.

Sizes and Measuring Your Table

Measure your table before you buy. Leave about 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm) of bare table between the placemat edge and the table edge, and leave room between settings so plates do not touch.

Sizes in this category run from small square mats to long rectangles:

• The Round Silicone Placemat: 13.5 x 13.5 in (34 x 34 cm)
• The Fringe Round Woven Placemat: 15 in (38 cm) diameter
• The Christmas Print Linen Placemat: 17.72 x 11.81 in (45 x 30 cm)
• The Embroidered Frame Placemat: 17 x 12 in (43 x 30 cm)
• The Carved Silicone Placemat: 16.5 x 11.8 in (42 x 30 cm)
• The Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat: 12 x 16 in (30 x 40 cm)
• The Matte Silicone Table Mat: 15.4 x 10.4 in (39 x 26.5 cm)
• The Floral Weave Placemat: 15.7 x 11.8 in (40 x 30 cm)

For a standard dinner plate around 10 to 11 in (25 to 28 cm) across, a mat at least 15 in (38 cm) wide gives comfortable coverage. Smaller mats suit appetizer plates, kids tables and tight setups.

Materials and What They Do Well

Silicone is the easy choice for busy homes. The Round Silicone Placemat, the Carved Silicone Placemat and the Matte Silicone Table Mat all wipe clean with a damp cloth. The Matte Silicone Table Mat can also go in the machine and hang dry.

Woven fabric brings texture. The Fringe Round Woven Placemat is polyester cotton woven with a matte face and a non-slip backing, so it stays put. The Floral Weave Placemat is 100% polyester in a matte weave with many color and pattern options, from houndstooth to hearts.

Linen covers the holiday side. The Christmas Print Linen Placemat and the Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat are both linen with a matte finish and a printed design on one side. The Embroidered Frame Placemat is a polyester cotton blend, 80% polyester and 20% cotton, with a glossy finish and an irregular shape.

Care and Daily Use

Most fabric mats here follow the same routine: machine wash cold, hang dry, low iron. That covers the Fringe Round Woven Placemat, the Christmas Print Linen Placemat and the Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat. The Floral Weave Placemat uses the same steps.

The Embroidered Frame Placemat is machine washable. Check the listing for full details.

Silicone mats need the least work. Wipe with a damp cloth after meals. For a deeper clean, the Matte Silicone Table Mat can go in the machine and hang dry.

A few practical notes. The Fringe Round Woven Placemat has a non-slip backing, which helps on smooth tables. The Christmas Print Linen Placemat has a printed design on one side, so flip it for a plain look. The Carved Silicone Placemat is sold individually, and the Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat comes as a set of 4. The Matte Silicone Table Mat is sold per piece or as a 4-piece set.

Sets, Singles and Mixing

Some mats here are sold as singles and some as sets. The Carved Silicone Placemat is sold individually. The Floral Weave Placemat is sold as a single placemat. The Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat is sold as a set of 4. The Matte Silicone Table Mat is sold per piece or as a 4-piece set.

If you want a matched table, count your seats first. A set of 4 covers most family tables. For a table of 6 or 8, buy two sets or mix a set with singles in a matching color.

Mixing works well when you keep one thing the same. Use the same shape in two colors, or the same color in two shapes. The Floral Weave Placemat alone comes in white houndstooth, pink houndstooth, blue, beige houndstooth, black heart, green heart, pink heart, white heart, beige heart, brown houndstooth, blue houndstooth, khaki, pink, red, white and chocolate, so you can build a set in one pattern family.

Holiday Tables

For Christmas, two mats in this category do the work. The Christmas Print Linen Placemat comes in red, green, beige, black, white and gold, sized 17.72 x 11.81 in (45 x 30 cm). The Santa Gnome Christmas Placemat comes in beige, red and white, sized 12 x 16 in (30 x 40 cm), sold as a set of 4.

Both are linen with a matte finish and both machine wash cold, hang dry, low iron. Pair them with plain napkins and let the print lead.

For the rest of the year, the round and rectangular mats above cover everyday meals, weekend brunch and dinner with friends.