What Size Fitted Tablecloth Should I Use

Recently we had many customers inquiring about our fitted vinyl tablecloths. They wanted to know what size tablecloth will fit their table size. Generally speaking, if a round table measures 60 inches in diameter then a 60 inch round tablecloth (fitted) is needed. If the table thickness is thicker than a typical standard table than a few extra inches is needed. Here at your tablecloth.com we can custom make any size that is needed. If you don’t see the tablecloth size you are looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to customize that size for you.

The fitted tablecloths are flannel backed which protect your table from scratches. They also have an elasticized band which holds it firmly in place. The tablecloths we carry are 3mil and 6mil thick. The most popular fitted tablecloth we carry is the Galaxy which is a 6 mil gauge and comes in an abundance of solid colors to choose from. Another very popular item is the Tavern Checks and Elegant Fern which is 3 mil thick and is great for restaurants and picnic tables. Depending if the tablecloths are being used for indoors, or for picnic table covers, patio table covers, restaurant or commercial venue, this will help you determine what size thickness is the right one for you.

A great gift for Mothers Day or for any other occasion is a gift certificate. It’s a wonderful way to show all the mothers you love how much you care about them and they’ll love you for letting them order something they like according to their taste.

The Advantages of Using a Vinyl Tablecloth

Many people prefer using vinyl tablecloths over cloth and here are some of the reasons why:

Compared to the more elegant lace and cloth tablecloths, vinyl tablecloths are reasonably priced. It is affordable for anyone on a budget, perfect for a family that uses a tablecloth for their everyday dinner table or a restaurant entity serving customers on a daily basis.  They are strong and durable. It can be used over and over again.

Vinyl tablecloths are great for outdoors. When the weather starts getting nicer we tend to want to spend some quality time outdoors. The weather though can be unpredictable. When using a vinyl tablecloth, there is no worrying about the rain ruining your tablecloth. It is also more resistant to sunlight which keeps the color lasting longer. Our fitted tablecloths have an elasticized band that keeps the tablecloth firmly in place so if children tug at it, food and drink will have less of a chance to spill over and if it’s windy, the wind will not blow it away. People tend to move around more often at an outdoor barbeque or party so a strong and durable tablecloth is a great choice. One can leave their tablecloth outdoors and not have to bring one out just for serving. Since there are also many colors and styles to choose from it adds elegance to the outdoor décor to have something pretty out on the patio or picnic tables at all times.

Lace and cloth tablecloths need washing and special care is needed for the more delicate and intricate table linens. Vinyl tablecloths however are so easy to clean. It is great for a serving table at an event where there are lots or food and drink or practical at a lunchroom or cafeteria where there is constant serving and cleaning up. A family with little children who might spill their food and drink would love using these tablecloths. It keeps the anxiety level down as you just have to wipe the spill up with a rag and it will make dinnertime a happier family event.

Vinyl tablecloths come in a variety of colors and sizes, in solid colors and printed styles. When buying one for general everyday use or for a special event, there is something for everyone to choose.  Custom sizes are available for a hard to fit table.

How do I measure the right size tablecloth for my table

When purchasing a tablecloth, customers always ask what size tablecloth they need for their table. In order to figure that out, you need to answer a few questions:

What shape table do you have?

To figure out the dimensions of the table measure the diameter or the length of the table for a round table and the length and width of a table for rectangle and square. For oval sizes measure the long diameter and the short diameter. If using leaves or extensions please make sure to include that in your measurement.

What is the drop length of the table?

To determine the drop length of the table (which is the fabric that extends from the edge of the table down) will depend on what type of occasion you will be using the tablecloth for.

The height of most tables is 30” inches. For casual dining table people like to have an 8 inch drop and for formal dining a 15 inch drop. For a table being used as a serving table or a display table you may want it to reach the floor and measure 30 inches. Keep in mind that in an eating area you don’t want people tripping over a too long tablecloth or having their evening bags lost under the tablecloth!  If you are not sure what size drop you prefer, drape a napkin or towel over the edge of the table to get a better idea.

Now that I have that information what do I do?

Multiply the desired drop length by 2 (since the drop is the same on both sides of the table) and add the result to the actual length of your table. This is the tablecloth length. Determine the tablecloth width in the same manner. For a circular table multiply the drop length by two and add that to the diameter. Remember you must double the drop measurement as you have to drop down on both sides of the width and both ends of the length.
_____Length + ____drop on right + ____drop of left = _______

_____Width + _____drop on right +____ drop of left =_______

_____Diameter + ____drop of right + ____drop of left = _____

When choosing a tablecloth, keep in mind that rectangle tablecloths work on oval tables. Many people like the look of a square tablecloth on a round table.  If you have a custom table size, please ask to see if we can help. Enjoy your event.

Picnic Thoughts and Ideas

Spring is upon us and with it comes some beautiful weather. The sun is shining, and flowers are beginning to bloom. What a great reason to spend time outdoors with family and friends. It’s so nice out that we don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing lunch and dinner.

A great way to have your fun outdoors and eat there too is to have a picnic. One can have a romantic picnic for two, a family lunch or dinner, or a get together with family or friends. It can be taking time out from a trip to stop and eat or purposely creating a picnic outing.

Whether spending time as a couple or having a large outdoor gathering, one thing is for sure: food is needed! Some people prefer to bring along readymade foods. This way, there is less food preparation and more outdoor enjoyment.  Classic picnic foods are cold cuts or cold chicken, sandwiches, tuna and egg salad, peanut butter and jelly and potato salads. For others, a barbecue is a great way to have a quick warm meal outdoors.  Watermelon and fresh fruit are great and refreshing desserts in both cases! Mouth watering! It’s time to spread out your picnic tablecloth and dig in.

It’s very common to see red and white checkered tablecloth, also known as gingham tablecloths used for picnics today. Care to know why? In the days of the early settlers in the American Midwest, the women would flag down the men riding horses with red and white checkered tablecloths to indicate that it was time for the customary communal meal. The waving of a tablecloth – typical red and white checked – announced that dinner was served.

Wines are made in white, red and rosé versions. In Italy, the white and red checkered tablecloth were used to symbolize the color of the red and white wines. The rosé wine bears resemblance of roses that were placed in the center of the table to enhance the decor.

During World War Two there was a shortage of fabrics worldwide. Women had to make do with whatever material was available to them. Women cut patterns out of the red and white checkered table cloths and used them to make stylish dresses for themselves.

While you are mulling over these interesting tidbits pack up some food, a tablecloth, call some friends and family and head outdoors to enjoy these beautiful days. Send us a photo of your picnic table and we’ll be glad to post it here.

Party or Wedding Tablecloth Styles

Every bride, and every mother of the bride, is only too well aware of the feeling. It’s the biggest day of your life and you want every last detail to be perfect. If you are planning the wedding of your dreams you have so much to think about; you’ll be thinking about your dress or dresses, your bridesmaids’ dresses and perhaps, even more importantly, what the mother of the bride is wearing!

We understand that completely, but we would like to gently remind you of something else that needs dressing. Yes, your wedding tables! They may be low down on your list of priorities, coming after entertainment, hospitality and flowers, but if you are paying attention to all the small details, tablecloths for weddings are crucial.

Our range of stylish wedding tablecloths will help to give your wedding the WOW factor that you desire. We have traditional tablecloths that come in several colors and sizes, such as the Diamond Rectangle tablecloth, with a matching range of round tablecloths, along with the fabulously chic Kensington range, and the simply sophisticated Sophia range.

If you have a color theme choose table linen from our Elegant range, as these are ideally suited as colored wedding tablecloths. For a contemporary wedding, use a bright and bold colored tablecloth and top with a plain, light color. Dress the table as boldly as you like, perhaps using Moroccan style lanterns as a centerpiece rather than flowers, and bright colored tea glasses for a really unusual touch, or colored wine glasses. These are perfect party tablecloths too, so you can use them over!

For a more feminine effect top our pastel shade tablecloths off with one of our sensationally pretty table toppers that comes in square, round and star shapes. Decorate with flowers and ribbons, candles and delicate tableware and crockery.

Similarly if you are considering the current vogue for nostalgia and retro themed weddings, lacy table toppers are perfect for a vintage tablecloth effect. Vintage chic is all the rage at the moment. Choose a cream or pale pink tablecloth and then accessorize it with gold and silver tableware, such as candelabras, with heavy glassware and fresh flowers. Keep the table plain and simple, using your vintage tablecloth as the backdrop for your work of art. Don’t overdo confetti or favors, and certainly do not use anything plastic or metallic.

For the ultimate finish top your vintage tablecloth or wedding tablecloth with beautiful lacy Victorian Rose placemats as these will provide the prettiest of talking points.

Take your time browsing our selection of wedding tablecloths and party tablecloths. Let yourself be inspired by our vintage tablecloths and our Victorian Rose placemats. Carefully consider what theme you would like for your wedding tables, choose your tablecloths and then start to dream about the accessories you can add. This is your wedding journey and here at Yourtablecloth.com we’re so happy to be a part of it!

Spring Art Fun

It is a few days into spring and we are still waiting for the warm weather to come our way. Instead we are awaiting a snow storm…yet again. Who would believe we would have cold weather and snow this time of year? Since some of us are choosing to stay indoors until the spring weather arrives, we decided to have some fun with a program called Wordle. Wordle.net is a program that pulls words from texts that you provide. It can be created with different fonts, colors and shapes. For spring sake we created one with spring colors from one of our blogs.

In the spring, butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season. Here is a Wordle created in honor of some of the spring flowers which are daffodils, tulips, irises, lilies, and hyacinths.

Dandelions first came from Asia, and now call the entire world home. Dandelions can be used both as a food and a medicine and the seeds provide an important food to many small birds.

Here is an interesting fact about spring. Baby Birds are born with the ability to sing but they must learn the specific songs of their species. They are thought to acquire the songs between ten to sixty days of birth and begin to sing them the next spring.

Come up with your own artwork from any texts or words you choose. We would love to see some of the artwork you created with any spring themes or any ideas that come your way. Hopefully soon we will get to enjoy the warm weather we are anxiously waiting for.

The Tablecloth In History

You’ve probably never really thought very much about it, but the tablecloth has an extremely long history and has been a popular and highly valued household item for nearly 2000 years, without ever falling from favor.

The earliest proof we have of the existence of tablecloths, is drawn from the work of a poet named Martial who died c.103 AD who mentioned them in his writing, so tablecloths are believed to have come into use in Europe in the first century AD. Prior to this high-ranking Roman households are thought to have possessed tables that were exquisitely carved and therefore too ornate and beautiful to be covered by cloth!  By looking at early artwork that still survives, it appears that the very first cloths appear to have been very plain and used simply for catching mess and wiping up spills.

The Roman Emperor Charlemagne (742 – 28 814), who, it is reported, used a tablecloth made of asbestos. His guests would sit with him to have dinner and then he would have the table cleared before throwing the cloth into the fire where it would amaze all observers by refusing to burn! He used this trick in order to convince his barbarian guests of his total supremacy and infallible powers.

After this, tablecloths gradually became more popular, particularly among European nobility and aristocrats. However by the fifteenth century, every household apart from the very poorest would have used a tablecloth of some description, even if it was hessian sack. The middling folks (there was no middle class at the time) would have had plain, cheaper cloths while the poor would have used hemp cloth and the destitute would have had no table coverings at all.

During the Medieval period, it was de rigueur to use the finest linen tablecloths. The linen had to be as white as possible. The higher ranking you were, the whiter your tablecloths were expected to be. This is because conspicuous consumption was the order of the day. If you think about it, this was a time long before chemicals, washing machines, dryers and irons, so you had to employ lots of people to keep your household linens clean. By having the freshest, whitest tablecloth you possibly could laid out on your dining table, you were effectively saying, “Look at me. I have lots of money! I have lots of workers!”

At the time linen was a hugely valuable commodity that cost a great deal of money. It had to be harvested, handspun, bleached and then hand-woven into cloth by a Master Craftsman. It was then bleached and calendared. During its existence it had to be carefully looked after in terms of washing and pressing. Linen was so valuable in fact, that it is present in wills and probate inventories right up to the twentieth century, and was seen as a family heirloom.  Households often kept their linen on display, either in a linen press, or stacked somewhere where it could be seen by visitors. As ironing was not widespread until after the late Middle Ages, a smoothed tablecloth was also a sign of a well-run household.

These early tablecloths were sometimes decorated with borders, fringes and stripes. The richest households had tablecloths made to fit specific tables, however, tablecloths had to be of a fixed width based on the width of the loom that wove the cloth, so larger tables would have to be covered with several tablecloths at once.

On the highest ranking table ‘surnapes’ were used to cover the main tablecloth, just like the table toppers we use today. ‘Sanaps’ were also used as an additional covering. These ran the length of the table and were the precursor of our table runners today. As grand houses competed against each other for the richest looking table settings for their amazing feasts, these sanaps became increasingly ornate, decorated with lace and embroidery. These extremely wealthy households would often have a servant whose job it was to ceremoniously cover and uncover the table.

Unfortunately we have much smaller households these days, and all the chores may well fall to you. But as you cover and uncover your table, setting it to look as attractive as possible, remember that you are part of an illustrious history of nobles and aristocrats, and show off your table with pride!