When & Why You Should Use Placemats
Are you wondering when and even why you should use placemats? After all, what is their intended purpose?
The functions of placemats (why you should use them)
First, using placemats on your kitchen table is a great way to protect it while still enabling the attractiveness of the table to be seen. Placemats will protect your table from spills, scratches, and potential stains from damaging its surface. They are a useful barrier between your dishes and food, and the table.
Second, placemats are great at hiding existing blemishes on a table. Maybe you inherited a beautiful table, or you found one secondhand that has a few scratches or stains. By strategically laying out placemats, you are effectively hiding those blemishes while still enjoying the beauty of the table.
Third, if you have young children, you have probably already discovered how useful placemats are in protecting your table from their projects and accidental spills. Whether from them banging their sippy cup on the table, or working on an art project, or just eating a snack, a placemat will protect your table from any unwanted blemish.
Fourth: placemats are easier to clean than a tablecloth. If you have vinyl, plastic, or lacquered ones, they are easy to just shake and wipe off. For cloth placemats, throwing them in the wash (per the manufacturer’s instructions) is also very quick and simple.
Placemats tend to be a small investment for a large return. Think about how much money you will save by protecting your table and keeping it nice for years. No need to have your table refinished.
The beauty of placemats (no, they aren’t out of style!)
Not only do placemats have a valuable function, they can also elevate the look of your kitchen/dining table.
If you have little kiddos, you probably have placemats with designs that they like. But there are SO many other options for placemats that are very attractive.
One of the fun things about using placemats is the endless options! As I mentioned above, they are available in cloth, plastic, vinyl, and lacquered. They are even available in bamboo, wicker, or other materials. Placemats come in endless colors and patterns, too. So, you should easily be able to find placemats to fit your individual style. Plus, you can easily change them out for the seasons, or different holidays.
There are no real rules for when you should use placemats. Usually, they are used for fun or informal gatherings around the dining table. They typically aren’t used for formal dinners. But that is the neat thing about placemats. You can use them on a bare table, or you can use them on a tablecloth, or with a table runner. Check out how I used my DIY burlap placemats on a tablecloth for my Easter brunch table setting. It is all about personal preference and what you like!
I really love how using attractive placemats can change the look of a kitchen or dining room table.
