placemat

thumb|240px|Two household placemats, made with cork (material)|cork (top, Plancius's map) and [[wool (bottom)]]

A placemat or table mat is a covering or pad designating an individual place setting, unlike the larger tablecloth that covers the entire surface. Placemats are made from many different materials, depending on their purpose: to protect, decorate, entertain or advertise. Materials and production methods range from mass-produced and commercial, to local and traditional.