Round Table Cover

Hello everyone,

Since our family is growing, our large round table (125 cm in diameter) has moved from the garden into the house. At Easter, 7 people could sit around it comfortably.

Beforehand, I had been thinking about a tablecloth. I looked online first—yes, there are large round tablecloths, but I didn’t like either the color, the pattern, the quality (only polyester, grrr), or the price. So I spontaneously sewed one myself the day before Easter.

I’d traded for the cotton fabric a while ago in my swap group, simply because I liked it. A lovely green with small, subtle flowers and leaves on it. I figured I’d be able to use it for something someday.



My table has a diameter of 125 cm. If I wanted the tablecloth to hang down 20 cm all around so it would look “nice,” I would need 125 + 40 cm + hem allowance (so about 170 cm). But my fabric was only 140 cm wide. So I simply cut out a circle. The small hanging tablecloth flounce that would have been possible would have looked like I’d tried but not quite managed it. That’s why I decided to design the tablecloth like a “table cover” .

I folded the fabric over twice all the way around so that the raw cut edge was on the inside. Then I sewed a casing and threaded an elastic band through it with the help of a safety pin.



It takes two people to put it on the table because no one has arms long enough for such a large table. After all, you basically have to pull the elastic band over the edge everywhere at the same time.

The new tablecloth is finished.



Its special advantage is actually the elastic casing that came about out of necessity. The tablecloth now lies completely smooth and taut on the tabletop. And none of the grandchildren or adults at this table can pull the tablecloth down with their legs. Thanks to the cover, you have absolute legroom under the table.





Maybe an idea for you?

Best regards, Ina

You’ve found a great solution to the problem there, Ina—it looks neat and is more practical than anything else.

Best regards, Inge

Dear Ina,

that’s a wonderful idea that I’ll definitely try. I’m sure it would also work for rectangular tables—like ours in the garden, for example. We always have to clip the tablecloth down when it’s windy. That wouldn’t be necessary anymore, of course.

Thanks for this tip, too! Very useful.

Best regards
Monika

That’s a great idea—it would have helped me a lot back then. Now I don’t have any tablecloths left at all.

Thank you both for your compliments.

Yes, I can also imagine using this tablecloth for square tables. In that case, I’d probably reinforce the corners somehow on the inside so they don’t poke through the fabric.

Best regards, Ina

The best ideas often come from necessity.
Just like Monika, I’ll definitely make one of these for our round garden table. Here on the coast, it’s often windy, and even tablecloth weights often don’t keep the tablecloth down.
Thanks for sharing your brilliant idea!

Best regards
Karola

A great idea. Especially with kids. How often does the tablecloth get wrinkled or do you get caught on it? 

Thanks, Ina! Yeah, I hadn’t even thought about the corners. We’ll pad them a bit beforehand to soften them up. In any case, this is just brilliant for outdoors.

I could also see this working for our oval dining table. But first, it’s the garden table’s turn.