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• The placemat is a common table linen for home and casual dining. Families with children may enjoy the many designs available to both entertain and protect the table. In many homes, use placemats as an inexpensive means of decoration. With the wide variety of designs available, it isn't uncommon for a household to have several sets of placemats to alternate throughout the four seasons or during the holidays. Their attractive designs may tempt you to remove the placemats before you eat so they don't become soiled.
  
  

Formal

• Using placemats at a formal dinner was once considered a social faux pas. However, with the elegant fabrics and designs currently available, placemats are frequently used as a decorating accent to the tablecloth. Formal placemats may be made from materials such as silk, fine linen, bamboo or even leather. Always consider table space when deciding to use placemats in a formal setting. Placemats on a small table may present a crowded appearance rather than enhance the decor.
  
  

Commercial

• Restaurants frequently use placemats at their table settings. Disposable placemats not only collect errant crumbs, but are used as a means of advertisement. Because they are relatively inexpensive to produce, business owners are able to change their message frequently to announce upcoming specials or sell space to other businesses or organizations to advertise their services. In some cases, these placemats serve as a community bulletin board. Parents and fellow diners may agree, the children's activity placemat is the ultimate invention.
  
  

Nontraditional Uses

• Placemats are available in a wide variety of shapes, fabrics, designs and materials. Their flexibility has made them an option for many nontraditional applications. Vinyl placemats are frequently used under pet dishes to protect the floor, or as a barrier between food and the glass shelves in a refrigerator. The placemats are easy to clean and inexpensive enough to throw away when worn. Imaginative crafters have found many ways to put the fun fabrics of placemats to use. It is possible to make a variety of decorative items from placemats including purses and pillows.