DIY No Sew Tablecloth

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.