Simply DIY: Easy Summertime Placemats // A Guest Post

Hi everyone! My name is Natasha and I am so excited to be here posting for Olivia during this special time for her family. I have a fun summertime DIY project to share with you today but before I jump into that, Olivia asked me to share a little about myself so here goes...

I live on a beautiful island in the Pacific (Oahu) with my husband, daughter and sweet dog, Rocco. We are expecting to welcome our second bundle of joy at the end of this year and couldn't be more delighted. When I'm not chasing my insanely busy toddler around I really enjoy cooking, organizing, crafting, reading, etc. and you can read about more of that on my blog.

So, on to the tutorial! I don't know about you, but I love summer evenings. It feels like there is something almost magical happening in the air when the temperatures start to drop and the sun starts to set. These DIY summertime placemats are perfect for those summer evenings when you want to eat your dinner outside while you enjoy the magic.

All you need to make your own summertime placemats are some rope, a hot glue gun (with plenty of glue sticks), a can of spray-paint in your favorite color and some patience.

Shoot, did I lose you at patience? It's really not bad since hot glue dries super fast so sit down with a cold glass of iced tea, put on your favorite podcast and let's get rolling!

You are going to start building your placemats from the inside and work your way out. Take the end of your rope, apply hot glue to one side and fold more rope on top. Without burning yourself, pinch the rope together while the glue dries to ensure you have a nice foundation.

Once that glue dries, continue to do the same and watch your placemat grow larger and larger! After I had a nice base built (my glued portion was about the size of a half dollar) I started glueing about 3-4 inches at a time which was a major time saver.Don't worry if you need to stop and take a break - this is a super easy project to stop and pick up again at a later time since there really is not a lot of set up/clean up required.

When you think you are almost done, grab one of your dinner plates and using it for a size reference. There really isn't a right or wrong when it comes to sizing so do what you think looks best. When you have decided you are done, cut the rope and then apply a dab of hot glue on the end of the rope to keep it from fraying.

I really like the natural look of these placemats and think they would be beautiful on any table just the way they are. But I was feeling bright and summer-y so I busted out the leftover spray paint from my daughter's birthday party and added a little pop to the bottoms. Really, do whatever you want here! You know what will look best with your table/dishes or fit your style best.

Now all that is left to do is to sit outside on a beautiful evening, relax and enjoy your unique, summertime placemats! What is your favorite summertime meal?