Cute and Easy Way To Protect Your Work Surface

I have only one work surface in my studio and it also my desk. I bought this pretty wooden desk from IKEA a few years ago and have used one of those green grid self-healing mats to protect the wood. It's a practical mat but not very pretty, so I put it aside when I don't need it. A week or so ago, I was In Target, and like so many of you, I am amazed at how wonderful the designs are on their seasonal products. I found a plastic place mat which is as pretty and whimsical in design as it is functional.

What I like about this place mat, other than the sweet design, is that it is see-through and the wood of my desk gives the background of it a faux bois sort of look to the design. The practicality of the mat is that it is opaque and not slick. It has a little "tooth" on the surface which keeps things from sliding around and especially gives me a place to leverage needles through several layers of ribbon or fabric in the many hand sewing requirements of my projects.

You should be able to find these mats at Target now in this and other cute designs. I think they're only a few dollars each. Happy shopping and, as always, happy creating!~~~XXOO, Beth