Make a Durable DIY Half Apron from a $4 Placemat

This durable DIY half apron is so affordable, you might just want to make more than one.

With all the paint, hot glue, and other random craft items I go through around here, I’m pretty tough on aprons.

And my last one kicked the dust a while back during a pretty dramatic paint spill. Whoops!

So, I started searching for more durable options and decided to DIY my own once again. Specifically, I wanted a half apron.

Something that tied at the waist, that I could wipe my hands on and keep a few things handy in the pocket.

Nothing fancy. Just simple and useful.

I ended up finding some heavy duty canvas placemats locally (at Candlefish in PCM if you’re in Atlanta) and thought they’d be perfect for what I wanted to make.

They’re super durable and already had a built in pocket. But the best part was thee price – each one was only $4!

Such a good deal. So I bought a few of them.

From there, all I really needed to complete the project was a sewing machine and a few yards of cotton twill.

And now I’ve got 4 new aprons to use for craft projects…and cooking at home. Snuck one away from the studio because I’ve been cooking at home so much lately.

Here’s how to make your own durable half apron for less than $6!

Materials for Half Apron

• heavy canvas placemat – $4 each
• cotton twill (1-1.5 yards per apron)* – less than $1 per yard
• sewing machine

*If you want to wrap it all the way around as shown in photo you’ll want 1.5 yards (or somewhere in that range). You won’t need as much, if you plan to simply tie it in the back.

Instructions for DIY Half Apron

1. Cut, fold, and sew.

To create the tie, use cotton twill or similar in your desired width and cut to size.

OR if you have a larger width of cotton, like the picture, fold it in half and press a seam, then sew a straight line running the length of the tie to secure open edges.

Our tie is 72 inches, but you can go as long or short as you want. You’ll need more inches if you want to wrap the tie around multiple times, which is why we went with 72.

Personally, I feel like waist aprons stay up better and feel more secure when you can wrap them around your waist entirely at least once.

Then fold over each of the two ends of the tie to finish those edges with the sewing machine.

A zigzag stitch is recommended for the ends to help prevent it from fraying.

2. Measure and pin.

Measure the halfway point of the cotton twill length from step 1 and the halfway point of the placemat and pin the two in place there as the first guide.

Pin the cotton twill on top of the front of the placemat.

Then pin the remaining cotton twill that touches the placemat as well.

3. Sew.

Then sew across the existing stitch line on the cotton twill tie, in the same color thread, all the way across.

Backstitch at beginning and end.

4. Vertical zig zag stitch.

Then, to finish things, do a vertical zigzag stitch at the end of each side of the apron, on the tie, as shown. Backstitch at beginning and end.

Another option, would be to skip steps 2-4 and punch large holes into the placemat (one on each top corner) and attach grommets.

Then, just weave the cotton twill tie though the grommets and tie.

It’s a totally different look and just as easy, if you want to go that route instead.

More Apron Ideas

Need something that covers more surface than this cafe apron idea?

I have an apron pattern for a larger apron that only takes 10 minutes to make. It’s a full apron that covers from the neck to the thigh.

And this DIY cafe apron only takes 10 minutes to make.

How to Make a Cafe Apron (Budget-Friendly)

Brittni

With all the paint, hot glue, and other random craft items I go through around here, I'm pretty tough on aprons. And my last one kicked the dust a while back during a pretty dramatic paint spill. Whoops! So, I started searching for more durable options and decided to DIY my own once again. I found some heavy duty canvas placemats for $4 each locally (at Candlefish in PCM if you're in Atlanta) and thought they'd make the perfect half-aprons. They're super durable and already had a built in pocket. What more could I ask for!? All I really needed to complete the project was a sewing machine and a few yards of cotton twill. And now I've got 4 new aprons to use for craft projects...and cooking at home. Snuck one away from the studio because I've been cooking at home so much lately. Here's how to make your own durable half apron for less than $6!

No ratings yet

Print Pin Recipe

Equipment

• heavy canvas placemat - $4 each
• cotton twill (1-1.5 yards per apron)* - less than $1 per yard
• sewing machine

Instructions

 

• To create the tie, use cotton twill or similar in your desired width and cut to size. OR if you have a larger width of cotton, like the picture, fold it in half and press a seam, then sew a straight line running the length of the tie to secure open edges. Our tie is 72 inches, but you can go as long or short as you want. You'll need more inches if you want to wrap the tie around multiple times, which is why we went with 72.
• Then fold over each of the two ends of the tie to finish those edges with the sewing machine. A zigzag stitch is recommended for the ends to help prevent it from fraying.
• Measure the halfway point of the cotton twill length from step 1 and the halfway point of the placemat and pin the two in place there as the first guide. Pin the cotton twill on top of the front of the placemat. Then pin the remaining cotton twill that touches the placemat as well.
• Then sew across the existing stitch line on the cotton twill tie, in the same color thread, all the way across. Backstitch at beginning and end.
• Then, to finish things, do a vertical zigzag stitch at the end of each side of the apron, on the tie, as shown. Backstitch at beginning and end.
• Another option, would be to skip steps 2-4 and punch large holes into the placemat (one on each top corner) and attach grommets. Then, just weave the cotton twill tie though the grommets and tie. It's a totally different look and just as easy, if you want to go that route instead.

Did you make this?Mention @paperandstitch or tag #paperandstitch!

Sewing Emma Spear // Photography Brittni Mehlhoff

Have you ever made your own apron before? Which apron style do you like best? Half aprons, full pinafores, etc?

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave