It's time to swap those faded op shop dinner settings for something a little more fun, fruity and homemade. These wooden wonders will make mealtime cheery, and they're super-easy to do-it-yourself, too. How do you like them apples?



MATERIALS:

a rectangular piece of wood around 50mm thick and approximately the size of two dinner plates. (If you've got a scrap piece of wood lying around at home, why not recycle it? We used a piece of MDF from the back of an old picture frame).
cans of spray paint in apple-like colours
can of white spray paint for a base coat
can of clear gloss spray
cardboard template in the shape of an apple, and extra scrap card for paint masking
masking tape
pencil
sandpaper
scroll saw or jigsaw (if you don't have access to power tools there are lots of places around to get wood cut to size. Laser cutters may also offer this service)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Transfer your apple template onto the piece of wood and carefully cut out with a scroll saw. To avoid a craft-related injury, make sure you have a proper sturdy workplace for using the saw, and that you protect your eyes and hands from the blade and sawdust. After you've cut out your apple shape, sand the edges smooth. Give the top side of your apple a bit of a buff with the sandpaper as well.

2. Mask off the back of the apple, all the way around the edge. This will stop any paint from seeping onto the back when you're spraying.

3. Spray the entire top side of the apple with white as a base coat. You might have to do a couple of coats to ensure perfect coverage. Allow to fully dry, then use a piece of scrap card to cover the stem and leaf of the apple and spray the rest with your chosen apple colour. Again, you may want to give it a couple of coats. Allow to fully dry between coats.

4. Use the scrap card to cover the stem and main part of the apple and spray the leaf green. Allow the paint to fully dry before proceeding.

5. Use the scrap card to cover the leaf and main part of the apple and spray the stem brown. Allow the apple to fully dry.

6. Apply the clear gloss spray in an even coat all over the apple. Allow this coat to dry and then spray on another coat. While the spray gloss will protect your placemat from minor spills and allow it to be wiped clean, it's probably best to avoid placing super hot pots and pans on them as they're a tad sensitive to heat.

7. After your place mat is dry, peel off the backing tape and marvel at your finished creation! You could paint a whole set of these placemats in different apple colours, or even try making mini versions as matching coasters. Too cute!