When we’re having a picnic out back, I like to use a tablecloth to cover my table. But the pesky wind seems to always blow it around. So I took a store-bought tablecloth and sewed elastic around the edges, making it fit snug as a bug around my table. Now I don’t have to worry if the wind picks up and my food is saved from any cloth flaps whipping right into my pasta salad!
Supplies for Tablecloth Trick:
- any size tablecloth – mine is a plastic vinyl with the fuzzy cotton underneath
- sewing machine
- 1/4 inch width stretch elastic , I used almost 2 yards (you can use as wide as you want, but 1/4 is a good measurement.)
- safety pins – at least 2
First, you need to sew a 1 – 1 1/2 inch seam around the edge of the tablecloth, wide enough to fit the elastic through. But, you don’t sew it completely shut. Leave at least 3-4 inches of the seam open, for an area to put the elastic up and through.
Also, since this is a circular cloth, it’s hard to sew a straight line. So I found myself needing to fold over my fabric just a little around the seam, about every 8-10 inches. (If you have a better way to sew around a circle, please let me know!)
You’re ready for your elastic. Pin a safety pin onto both ends of the elastic. One you will leave all by itself on the elastic, the other, you’ll pin to the edge of the tablecloth. This is so you don’t end up loosing your spot, messing up all that work you just did.
Once your end pin is securely in place, thread the front pin through the hole of the seam. You need to finger your pin all the way through the entire tablecloth… yes, it takes some time. You scrunch your pin through, then while holding onto your pin with one hand, push the fabric back the opposite way. It does start to get a little extra scrunchy, but that’s just how it is when you’re threading a lot of elastic through a a lot of cloth.
After you’ve made it all the way around, pull the pin all the way out of the seam again, now on the other side. Here, you can either test your tablecloth by pinning the two ends of the elastic together and seeing how it fits on your table, OR you can go ahead and sew your elastic ends together. I just zigzag through them 5-6 times back and forth. Trim the extra elastic, then sew up the hole that was left.
Now it’s ready for your table. I’m so happy with how it turned out. No matter the weather elements, my tablecloth will be staying securely in place!
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Great idea! I especially love the idea of pinning the end of the elastic to the seam. I’m sure I would have lost the end a few times before that thought hit me upside the head :)
I did this for my kitchen stools. It is sort of like a shower cap on my stools.
My cushions on my kitchen stools were getting SO dirty. I remade the cushion covers and now I can throw them in the wash. It has been wonderful!
Thanks for the motivation! I have been looking for a fitted tablecloth just this morning, being too lazy to even think about altering one I already have..But now I am Motivated to make my own! Thanks! Your Table looks great! Now we just need some nice, warm, predictable weather ;)
this is a great idea!!
fan-flippin-tastic idea!!!
That is a fabulous idea! I’m adding a tablecloth and elastic to my Walmart list for the day and making one!
That is a great idea! But I can’t sew and don’t own a sewing machine, so I use a vase of flowers as an anchor instead.
M
Thanks for this wonderful idea!!
Such a great idea. I need to do this for the one on my table, my kids always are pulling and fighting over it being on straight at meals.
great idea!
It’s cute, like a giant shower cap. :)
AWESOME!! I love this idea!! I hate when the tablecloth is blowing and ruining your food. Those little clips they sell are a joke. Thank You for this awesome project.
Love it! I need this for my new table!
Great idea! Why didn’t I think of it??? =)
I love so many of your ideas and projects, but this one really takes the cake! I’m going to do the same for my kitchen table. Our table cloth is always sliding around and I’m always nervous about losing our dinner to the dog!
Melissa – Yes, just like a giant shower cap! Love that!
Kim – I don’t like those clips either, never stay put.
Jen – Good idea to use this project inside the house too! I’ve never had an indoor table cloth because I usually have a small baby tugging at it. Now I’m going to have to try that!
Thanks all, for your great comments!
Great idea!!
Great idea! I saw something like this in a catalog but it was vinyl.
So it’s been six years since my college costume class, which I wasn’t very good at to begin with, but I think for sewing circles you’re supposed to “clip” the corners to make it a straight fold instead of gathering (if that makes any sense). I’m sure it’s more succinct in my textbook, but I’d have to find it!
I love this idea even if it’s just for adding color outside. Very nice!
Genius! This is fantastic, I’ll be linking.
Hi Marie – my FB friends just love this!!
I like it so much I linked to it!
BRILLIANT idea! I could’ve used something like this when I had toddlers around…
This is a GREAT idea! :) I’m going to add this to my Blog Love Top 10 tomorrow. This is so much better than using rocks or heavy objects to hold the cloth down.
This is a great idea! We’ve all had our tablecloths blowing away before.
What an ingenious and fantastically simple idea! Maybe you should mass product the idea. ;)
Can this be sewn by hand. Obviously I have no machine : (
Love this idea!! And the bar stool variation, too! Also, could be made for indoor tables for when do crafts- to have easier clean up and no hanging tablecloth corners for little ones to walk by and tug on!
For the longer wooden rectangular picnic tables, do you think it would suffice to put elastic around the two “short” ends and the corners? (Sort of like some fitted sheets are). Or would you need elastic to run the entire perimeter?
Denise – You could try that, I bet it would work for a square table over those corners. If you try it, let me know. I’d love to know if that works, I’m always out for something done easier!