Stop Tossing Paper Towel Tubes: Make These Colorful Placemats Instead

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Paper towels are one of those home necessities that you reach for in just about every room. They've definitely earned their title as one of the most hard-working items in many homes, handling everything from cleaning up kitchen spills to giving your windows a streak-free shine. So chances are, you've already got a few empty rolls piling up, and they're the main ingredient for this hack. YouTube channel Day with DIY posted an interesting example of how you can upcycle those cardboard paper towel rolls into creative placemats for your dining table.

In the video, the demonstrator cuts thin, colored strips from paper towel rolls and then hand-weaves them into adorable placemats with a bold, checkerboard-style pattern. The design may look a bit complicated initially, but it's simple once you get the hang of the over-under pattern — even for a hand-weaving novice. If you're interested in trying it out yourself, some supplies you'll need include four paper towel rolls, a hot glue gun, and scissors. To color the rolls, you'll need either four markers or an acrylic paint set. 

The great thing about this DIY is that all the supplies (other than the rolls) can be purchased for under $10. Amazon has hot glue gun kits for $9, such as this Krightlink Mini Hot Glue Gun Kit. You can also find acrylic paint sets on the platform, like this Nicpro Acrylic Paint Set, which is only $17. Or if you prefer to save a bit of money, consider using markers, such as the $10 Betem Acrylic Paint Marker Set. This hack shows just how easily everyday household items can be repurposed into functional pieces of table decor, all for less than the cost of a new placemat set.

First, you'll need to prep the strips. Start by cutting each paper towel roll down the middle longways and flattening them. Next, measure and cut out 36 strips roughly ½-inch wide and four strips about ¾-inch wide from the rolls. Take one of the ¾-inch thick strips, fold it in half, and then flatten it. Unfold it and then color the outer side green. Repeat this step on the other three ¾-inch strips. Then, color nine of your ½-inch strips in each of these colors: Orange, teal, red, and green. Now, take a couple of the red ½-inch strips and hot glue them into an L-shape, leaving about ⅛-inch of overhang at the corner.

Once the glue sets, slide a green strip under the red horizontal strip, right next to the vertical red strip, and glue it in place. Repeat this step again, gluing an orange strip on top of the horizontal strip and a teal strip beneath it. Keep alternating over and under in the same color order until you reach the end of the red strip. After you've finished the row, it's time to weave in the horizontal rows. Start with a green strip, weaving it across your placemat just below the top red strip, going over the first vertical strip, under the next, and so on until you reach the other side.

Then, slide it up so it sits snugly against the red strip above it. Repeat this step using an orange, teal, and red strip, making sure to flip your over and under pattern for each new strip. Once these horizontal rows are done, take your folded green ¾-inch strips, and glue them to the edges of the mat as a frame.

As you can see, you now have a good reason to stop tossing your paper towel tubes. Once you try this trendy home decor idea once, you may be enticed to try it using different colors, or even using it as a colorful piece of woven wall art. However, as a placemat, it does come with a downside. Due to its cardboard construction, it's not waterproof.

This means that a single spilled drink can leave it soggy and warped. Even worse, the colors from the marker may even bleed through the cardboard onto your table. But, there is a solution. As a precaution, you can add a couple coats of Mod Podge to both sides to keep your table protected and help the placemat last longer. A jar of Mod Podge can be purchased on Amazon for less than $10, such as this matte formula. As far as customization goes, one of the easiest ways to make this design your own is by switching up the color scheme, perhaps going with a seasonal color palette. 

For example, for the fall, try going with a gold, brown, and orange palette, and then maybe a red and green for the holiday season. Consider adding complementary drink coasters to go with the placemats. One approach is to match the design of the mats, or incorporate accent colors that tie your whole table setting together.