With wedding and party season upon us, we thought this would be a great time to offer up a guide to show you how to choose the appropriate size tablecloth for any event, or for your home dining room.
When you are setting the table for dining in your kitchen or any special occasion, the primary element to look at is to set the tablecloth right. Just like any other piece of home décor, choosing appropriate linens, and setting them to reflect your style is essential. There is much to choose from. For some, a floral oilcloth tablecloth could be just what they need to transform their house into a home, others may prefer a more iconic fabric such as gingham. Moreover, you need to size it appropriately for your tables to get the proper finish.
As per experts, to choose the appropriate size of a tablecloth, you need to follow some primary instructions as below.
- Choosing the right size of tablecloth
- Determining the style of tablecloth drop
For any casual events, the tablecloths may have a 6- to 8-inch drop across the table edge to the tablecloth bottom. For formal occasions, you can set the tablecloths with about 15-inch drop from the table edge to the bottom. Setting the drop length of the tablecloth will help to set the most appropriate tone for the event. You can compare this with the difference between the choice of attire for any casual meal and while at a formal dinner party.
Measuring your table
After you have chosen an apt tone for the occasion, then you may apply this simple equation to determine the appropriate length for the table cloth. Follow the below steps to take measure for dining room tablecloth:
- Measure the width and length of the table.
- Add twice the length of the desired drop on the dimension of each side.
- If the Christmas table linen is 42 inches in width and 72 inches length, then you may have to set a drop of 9 inches and add 18 inches on both sides.
- The final dimensions will be 60 inches x 90 inches. Go ahead and purchase the table cloth.
For setting a cloth on round tables, first, measure the diameter of the table and then add twice as the desired drop. Say for example, for a round table of 60 inches with a 15-inch drop; it may need 90-inch tablecloth cut round.
Considering table linens
We can see that there are no standardized table sizes when it comes to dining tables, which makes it difficult for the buyers to choose standard size tablecloths too. However, the most appropriate drop is considered to be 8-to 9-inches from the table edge is considered to be an appropriate setting for casual events. This will facilitate relaxed dining and also will not restrict the diners legs or block easy access to the chair.
If you find your table’s shape makes it difficult to dress it up with the standard cloth, you may consider using table linens to add more design elements. For the extra-wide tables, you may use multiple runners rather than a single-piece tablecloth and place the runners across the entire width as like placemats for two. If the table is oval shaped, then try to use a rectangular cloth which allows for pooling all the corners.
Once on finding the right size of cloth for table décor, you may also try to invest a bit more into adding more colors and patterns to try innovative mix and match to give your occasions a classic finish.
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Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.