I have a new obsession: making table runners! I love that these are SO SIMPLE to make, can easily be done in 30 minutes or less, and are the perfect size! They're just big enough to be a focal point on your table, but not so huge that they take up your whole table when you want to use it: like homework time (you could even leave them on for dinner!)
Once a year our church does a huge craft/project day called "Super Saturday". All the women get together and spend the day rotating around stations set up for different projects. These table runners were one of the stations at this year's Super Saturday. My friend taught me how to make them, and she learned how to make them from her mom who learned how from a craft segment on a TV show.
My friend who was teaching had TONS of table runners she had made using this pattern. She had one for every holiday and we talked about how these would make cute christmas/birthday/housewarming gifts. Table runners are such a fun way to add a pop of color to your home and buying them at the store can get expensive. I'm so excited to make more for everyday use that I can rotate throughout the year.
Materials Needed:
- 1/2 yard of fabric that will be your bottom and top trim
- 1/3 yard of fabric that will be the top pattern
- 2 buttons
First, if you have a large cutting mat and a rotor cutting tool, measure the width of of your fabric to make sure it's even (you'd be surprised how fabric gets cut all wonky and are wider in some spots.) Your 1/3 yard of fabric should be 12 inches wide. Use a rotor cutting tool to trim off any spots that aren't straight and are too wide in spots. Your 1/2 yard of fabric should be 18 inches wide. NOTE: If you don't have a cutting mat or rotor cutter borrow one from a friend (that's what I did) or you can use a measuring tape or yard stick as a guide, but it's a little trickier that way.
After your fabric is trimmed, iron the creases.
Next, with the right sides of the fabric together, pin the left edges of your fabric together--along the length.
Using a 1/4 inch seam, sew a straight line along where you pinned.
Now pull the top piece over and pin the right side along the length. Sew that edge.
After it's sewed together, flip it right-side out. You'll have a long tube. Try to adjust the trim pieces so they're even on each side, then iron the creases. (Starch helps with getting your seams to look really nice)
Now fold your fabric in half lengthwise (or if you're my middle school student I would say "hot dog") so your top piece is facing out. Pin the open edges (along the width) together.
Using a 1/4 in seam (see NOTE) sew those pieces together on both ends.
NOTE:
When sewing this I always line up the "tag" ends on both pieces of fabric together. You'll need to sew a little further in than 1/4 inch. Then, once it's sewed, I'll trim off the excess pieces so my seam isn't so big underneath.
Once that's sewed it will look something like this:
Now just flip the end pieces inside out to make your points and iron your seams.
Last, use your machine or hand sew the buttons on your runner. Or if that's not your thing, you can always use a glue gun!
Enjoy your new table runner!
Seriously, these are so quick and easy you'll want to run out and get more fabric, so make sure to have plenty on hand!
