How to Make DIY Decorator Tablecloths
Add Style to your Home with Table Coverings in Beautiful Fabrics
Jul 28, 2008
Tablecloths are often regarded only as washable protective coverings brought out at mealtimes, but tables of every description offer an ideal display surface for a wide variety of beautiful textiles. Soft folds of fabric will do far more to give rooms a rich, comfortable look than hard, shiny surfaces, as well as providing a stylish disguise for tables that have become scuffed or stained over the years. Tablecloths can also protect precious surfaces from scuffmarks and scratches from children artwork, crafts and other activities.
Rugs or small carpets can be beautiful table coverings. The idea has a solid historical base – when Oriental carpets were first imported in the middle Ages, they were usually draped on tables, being far too precious to go on the floor. In fact the term table carpet referred any fabric that fulfilled this function – small floor coverings were called foot carpets. The practice was still widespread in the sixteenth century. Today in Belgium and Holland, soft pile Oriental-looking table carpets are still manufactured, and in commn use. You can achieve a similar look with an old or modern flat-pile rug such as a kelim or a dhurry; the secret is to choose one soft and thin enough to hang gracefully.
Another way to get the same thick, textural feeling is with a woollen blanket, perhaps woven with a simple check, or an old quilt – plain, printed, or patchwork. For small tables, look for an embroidered silk shawl. To turn an ordinary table into a pretty dressing table simply drape it with a length of soft muslin or colourful chintz. Protective sheets of glass cut to size with bevelled edges, make a good covering for a fragile or antique textile.
Making your Own Tablecloths
Do it yourself tablecloths are easy. You have the advantage of using off cuts of good quality fabric that are often on special at fabric stores. Simply turn under half an inch (1 centimetre) of fabric all around, iron it down and sew it on your machine. If the material is liable to fraying either zig zag around the edges first or turn it under twice. You can add ribbon, braid or fringing for special affect.
Hand Sewing TableclothsSmall pieces of delicate fabric, or good quality pieces of cotton or linen can be hand sewed with embroidery thread in contrasting or complimentary colours. Try using some of the cottons that are often used for patchwork or quilting. These make good coverings for side tablestables or on your coffee tables for afternoon tea or coffee. You can handstitch with hemstitch, backstitch or running stitch.
Round decorator tables, often called petticoat tables, can be bought cheaply and become a striking decorating feature when covered by a cloth. They look effective with a large cloth draped onto the floor and then a smaller cloth in a contract pattern or colour draped over the top. A checked cloth on top of plain cotton or calico is effective for a country look, or for a more opulent look use heavier material in oriental patterns of reds and golds, or a colour that ties in with your decorating scheme.
On a dining table a similar affect can be achieved with a large cloth draped to the floor and a contrasting cloth at angles on the top of the table. In summer sew bright coloured tablecloths for outdoor use or sew your own white table cloths for formal dining. Sewing your own tablecloths is a great way to decorate your home with individual flare at a reasonable cost.
Sources:
- Decorating with Textiles and Trimmings by Laura Ashley.
