Regardless of age, we all love a good snack. And while it’s important for children to learn to eat well at meals, they often need a little something to get them through the afternoon.

These easy-to-make mats will give even the simplest of snacks a bit of extra character. And because they can be wiped with a damp cloth, they are suitable for healthy treats like orange slices, apples, carrots, and okay…maybe even a cookie. There’s even a super-simple no-sew version!

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You will need:

Printable Animal Face Masks
Fabric (a fat quarter for each snack mat)
Fabric laminator (such as Pellon Vinyl-Fuse, found near interfacing)
Embroidery floss
Scissors
Iron
Masking tape
Ballpoint pen
Sharp needle

Step 1: For each snack mat, cut a piece of fabric laminator that is about 11×16 inches. Iron it onto the front of the fabric, following the manufacturer’s directions. Usually this involves peeling the backing, laying in the fabric, covering it with the backing, and ironing. It’s really important that you don’t iron the laminating material directly or it will ruin your iron.

Step 2: Cut out the template for the animal you’re making, and tape it to the front of the fabric using masking tape. Cut around the template, cutting through the tape strips. Repeat this to make a second animal head for the back of the mat.

Note: Normally when cutting with a template, I would suggest pins, but once you make a hole through the laminated fabric, the hole stays there, and we don’t want that here!

Step 3: Lightly trace the face onto one of the animal head shapes using a ballpoint pen. Thread your needle with embroidery floss, tie a knot in one end, and stitch the face. I used all six strands of the floss and stitched the eyes with satin stitch centers, and back stitch for around the eyes and for the nose and mouth.

Remember, if you make extra holes with the needle, they will stay there. When you gently press the needle against the back of the fabric, you’ll be able to see when the needle will come through. Just follow the markings as closely as you can!

Step 4: Tape the two animal heads together, so the laminating is facing out.

Step 5: Cut a long piece of embroidery floss (about 24 inches) and divide it into two pieces with three strands each. Take the first and tie a knot in one end and thread the needle with the other end. Hiding the knot between the layers, stitch around the edge of the animal face to hold the layers together and protect the edges.

You might just find that you’ll want a whole crew of animal snack friends! Even with all of the stitching, they don’t take long at all. But if you’d rather make an even faster version, try making your mats with a no-sew method!

Instead of making two animal heads, simply laminate both sides of the fabric. Then, cut out the shape as in step 2. Instant snacking!

Because the material is sealed and water-resistant, the best way to clean them is with a damp cloth. And do keep in mind that if they ever need to be ironed, cover the fabric with paper or a kitchen towel before pressing.

Oh, and keep your little ones safe. The material I used to laminate the fabric is BPA-free, but be sure to read the label.

Now, who’s ready for something sweet or salty?

Happy crafting and snacking!