- Covering a Skirted Table
- Protect With a Felt Cover
Purchase a large piece of felt that will serve as a cover for the table top and soften the edges when you add the table skirt. Select a color of felt that coordinates with the table skirt so it will not show through the final layer of fabric. Measure the size of the tabletop and cut the felt so that it extends at least 10" over the edge all the way around.
- Protect With a Felt Cover
- Choose Your Style of Decorative Table Skirt
Round
Cover a round table with a circle of cloth cut to size and you have a look that is graceful and classic. Finish with a simple hem or add cording, banding, or trim for a more distinctive look. You'll be surprised how much fabric a round table cloth takes, but it's not hard to make and is a good project for a home sewer- Rectangular
Rectangular skirted tables look neat, tailored and more formal than a round table. For softness, place a box pleat at each corner. Add a glass top for convenience and added durability. - Drum
A drum tablecloth is a cylinder shaped cloth that fits neatly over a round table. It has perfectly straight sides sewn to a top circle of fabric. This style is very tailored. - Pleated Round
For a more fitted tailored look, add pleats to the drum style skirt evenly spaced around the circumference. Trim with buttons or bows of matching or coordinating fabric.
- Select a Decorative Fabric for the Final Layer
- Silk, cotton, velvet, or upholstery fabric drape beautifully and hold their shape.
- Choose a solid color to add a block of color and texture to the space.
- Choose a plaid, check, or stripe for a neutral, but interesting, compliment to other patterns in the room.
- Choose a bold floral print to tie in with all the colors and other pieces of scale in the room. Carry over the main print from draperies, sofas, or the bedspread or coverlet.
- Select a sheer or lace fabric if your table base is a beautiful piece of furniture. For an airy look, layer two or more layers of sheer in different shades of the same color. The skirt will float lightly in the breeze and look delicate and airy.
- Add a Topper
A topper is a separate tablecloth that goes over the top of a floor-length cloth. It is made of a coordinating or matching fabric and can be round, square, or fitted, with hems that are plain, corded, banded, or shaped into triangles or scallops. - Add Details to Your Skirted Table
To really dress up a skirted table you might want to add some special trims or details.- Add a band around the hem of the skirt using a contrasting or coordinating fabric.
- Make the inside panels of box pleats with a coordinating fabric.
- Stitch down the top 8" of each pleat with invisible or decorative stitching.
- Secure pleats with covered or decorative buttons or a bow stitched in place.
- Sew a band or two of ribbon near the hem edge.
- Stitch covered cording around the perimeter of the tabletop.
- Make the cover top a different fabric from the drop portion.
- The Final Touch
To protect the skirted table top from spilled drinks or soiling, have a piece of 3/8" plate glass cut to the exact size of the table top. For a designer finish, have the edges beveled about 1" in from the edge of the glass. If you choose not to have a beveled edge, be sure that the edges are smoothed out after the cut.
A skirted table can really liven up a room and give it a simple and dramatic bit of punch. Color in a dark corner can light up a space. The skirt adds weight where other furniture might have bare legs. And the storage space beneath the table skirt is handy in almost every setting.