This plain round placemat from the dollar store was too tempting to pass up - the curved edge made a perfect spot for adding felt-leaf appliques. The stitches of metallic threads make the leaves more visually interesting with extra texture.

Materials needed:

• plain placemat
• scraps of felt: we used shades of brown, purple and green
• miscellaneous buttons
• Kreinik Fine #8 Braid in colors to match your felt. We used 012 Purple, 5982 Forest, 4002 Spiced Chai, 4005 Sugar Cube
• sharp embroidery needle with large eye
• needle threader
• Kreinik Treasure Tape 1/2" roll

Instructions:

1. Draw freehand leaves paper, or look for leaf templates online or from a child's coloring book. Following your pattern or freehand, cut out your leaves from your felt pieces.
2. Using the Kreinik Braid colors, create straight stitches (or the Seed Stitch) on each leaf. Make a random pattern or follow a natural vein pattern.
3. Use extra pieces of Braid to fill in the holes in your buttons for added color.
4. When embellishing is complete, arrange and attach your leaves and buttons using double-sided Treasure Tape. Note: If you plan on washing your placemat, you may want to use sewing thread to attach the pieces.