How to Make a Table Cloth for a Card Table

A card table is an inexpensive way to add much-needed seating to your holiday festivities or family dinners. On their own, however, their bland metal and canvas look can leave much to be desired. With some basic sewing supplies and a little bit of creativity, you can cover your boring card table with a tablecloth you make yourself. You can make it in less than an hour and coordinate it with your other table linens.

Measure the table. Most card tables are have four even sides and are either 34 or 36 inches square; however, to make sure your tablecloth fits perfectly, take your time and measure all four sides. Decide how far you want your tablecloth to hang down on each side and measure from the top of the table to the place you want your tablecloth to end. Write down your measurements.

Add up the measurements. Figure our your fabric yardage needs. If you have a 36-inch square table and want your tablecloth to hang down 6 inches on each side, you need a finished product that is 48 inches square. Add 1/2-inch to each side for the seam allowance. One yard of fabric is 36-by-44 inches. For a 48-inch square tablecloth, you would need at least two lengths of 49-inch fabric, which includes seam allowance, for a total of 98 inches of fabric, or 2 2/3 yards of fabric.

Purchase the fabric. Fold it in half along the length, so that the selvedges are closest to you. Unfold and cut down the center line. You will have two pieces that are the length of your tablecloth plus 1 inch. In the example above, the length of the cut fabric would be 49 inches.

Unfold the fabric along the width, which is the fabric from selvedge edge to selvedge edge. Cut both pieces of fabric so the width is half of your total width measurement. In the example above, that would be half of 49 inches, or 24.5 inches.

Place the two pieces you just cut right sides together along the long raw edge; pin in place. Sew together using a straight stitch and a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam. Iron the seams open so they lay completely flat.

Fold down 1/4-inch toward the wrong side of the fabric. Press into place with an iron on all four sides of your tablecloth. Repeat so you have an enclosed folded edge on all four sides. Topstitch around all four sides with a 1/4-inch seam allowance from the folded edge. Iron and place on your card table.