My dining room table has strange dimensions. It’s thin and narrow. I absolutely love it, but it makes buying tablecloths pretty difficult. I want to make my own, but my sewing machine has been on the fritz. Some brainstorming with Carla led us to flannel as a great no sew option. It doesn’t fray very easily, it’s sturdy and it’s washable. We thought about a jersey knit fabric, but I couldn’t find one that was tablecloth-worthy. They were too thin and flimsy (although my fabric store had better print options in jersey then in flannel).
And flannel doesn’t only come in plaids! I found a plaid that I love and I really like the look in my dining room, but I get that it’s not for everyone. You can find a variety of prints and solids online (if you’re the plan-ahead type), or maybe you’d have better luck in YOUR local fabric store.
This would also make a terrific picnic blanket. We’ve had some gorgeous weather here in Tokyo this week, and I’m getting really excited for picnic season! On that note, wouldn’t this make a great housewarming or wedding gift? Throw a flannel picnic blanket into a picnic basket for a lovely gift.
This was SUCH an easy project. Fraying the edges took a while, because what makes flannel a great no-sew fabric also means that it requires some effort to fray! It’s pretty tightly woven, so it was a little time consuming to pick apart the threads. But I parked myself in front of the TV to watch my late-night boys (Stephen, Jon and Jimmy), and I had a new tablecloth by the time they were done!
What you’ll need:
Flannel fabric, measured to the size of your table plus how much you want to hang over the edges (I measured my table then added about 6 inches to each edge).
Scissors
A pin
What to do:
1. Trim any uneven edges of the fabric to make sure it’s straight. Wash and dry the fabric.
2. Fray all of the edges of the fabric. I did it by pulling a few threads loose from the cut edge with the pointy tip of the pin. I then used my fingers to pull these threads out. Repeat until you have the length of fringe that you want. Repeat for all edges. Note: if you’re having problems with the long edges, you may wish to work on them in sections. Cut a slit the length of your fringe about 18 inches apart, down the long sides. Fringe one section at a time, making sure each section lines up with the others.
3. Shake off any stray strings, iron and enjoy!
One year ago: Mexican-Style Pickled Onions. Yum! Such a great, easy addition to taco night.
Chantel says
Ohh, I love this! I don’t like my current table and may have to give this a shot!
Betsy Beech says
Love this! I used to make placemats and napkins from denim when I was at summer camp some 50 years ago. Now I do a running stitch 1/2 – 3/4″around the edge of the fabric to hold the threads in place when I make napkins from poly-rayon linen-look.
Alyssa says
Hi Betsy! I love the idea of denim placemats, that sounds so cute! Thanks for stopping by 🙂