If you read my post at Blissfully Domestic last week, then you know that I flipped my lid over this tablecloth from BHG.
I did a half-hearted search knowing full-well that I wasn't going to spend a bunch of money on a tablecloth that I could only use for a couple of days. Besides, I wanted to take a shot at making my own version.
Do you remember the painter's drop cloths that I used to make outdoor curtains on my back porch? They were around $6 each and the fabric is perfect for a rustic tablecloth. I cut one down to the right size for my table and frayed the edges.
Tip: If you want to keep the raw edge of a piece of fabric from fraying, you can dab it with a product like Aleene's Stop Fraying Glue. It's flexible and washable. I did that with this project because I want to be able to put the tablecloth in the wash without ending up with a pile of string.
For the words, I found a font that I liked and typed my text into Microsoft Word in a really large size (this was like 350 pts). Then I printed out the text and trimmed and taped the multiple pages together into one long sheet.
Here's where it gets a little goofy...I taped the long sheet to my sliding glass door since my fabric was too heavy to see the text through it unless it was back lit.
I secured my fabric on top of that so that I could see the text through the fabric. If your fabric is a little more sheer, you can skip this step. Then I traced the outline of the text onto my fabric with a marker.
You know that your husband has given up when he sees you taping a piece of fabric to your sliding glass door and he doesn't even ask what you're doing. Poor man.
Tip: When you're tracing your text, take special care to make sure you're always writing on the same side of the fabric. It would be a major bummer if you traced an entire phrase on the wrong side of the fabric TWICE! Not that I did that or anything.
Last step...Paint over the traced lettering with fabric paint. I used a brown with a little bit of shine to it. Here's a link to the product that I used.
Once I finished the tablecloth, I started staging my kitchen table so that it would look all pretty like the one from BHG. I was going to set it with my pretty white dishes and the good napkins. And then I thought...
Oh, come on. We all know that it's going to look like this in a matter of minutes. Just being real.
I'm really thankful for the people who keep me real.
Want to see some more Works for Me Wednesday posts?
108 comments {Click here to leave a comment}:
Kimba,
Awesome job on the tablecloth!
I thinking of sayings or scriptures for Christmas, Easter, birthdays...
Oh, what fun!
Thanks for telling us the "how to's"!
Beautiful! You are so crafty! Way to go.
Not sure that I could do that, but thanks for sharing the tips nonetheless.
Oh! I can't wait to try this!!! :-) It's beautiful. Just think what you could do for christmas...I'm thinkin' ribbon trim... Thank you for sharing!!
If I hosted Thanksgiving, I would so do this project! Thanks for another great how to!
That looks so beautiful! Too bad I am not turkeying at home.
Kimba,
It is lovely and so wonderful!
I love that your table looks like mine does with kiddos underfoot!
Homework, craft projects, a drop spot for things when we come in from school....
Funny!
Monday hugs~ Les
Love it! I think I would stick to iron on transfer sheets just to save me some frustration.
Great tutorial.
It looks beautiful! You always give fantastic step-by-steps!!
WOW, that's beautiful! I love it. I'll be linking.
that turned out beautiful!
I love this! I would probably keep this up even past Thanksgiving - that's how much I love it. :)
Your husband sounds like mine. He just shakes his head, sighs, and walks away when he sees I'm up to something. :)
You are so crafty! The tablecloth is awesome, and thanks for the clear directions!
you cutie patootie- I love it! great job!
I am so impressed--as usual! Love it!
LOVE it!! I am SO doing that for next year!! Or maybe a variation for Christmas!!!
Kimba, that is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. Oh, the gift ideas this gives me!
That is awesome!!!!!!!!! I just love it!!!!!
Nice job!
Is there a reason why you didn't use iron-on transfers?
I love the tablecloth - almost as much as I love you keepin' it real! THANK YOU for being real. We need more of that in this world. :-)
Love, love, love the tablecloth!!! I agree that keeping it real is a good thing.
I absolutely love the tablecloth and your creativity in making it happen!
Oh. My. Gosh. You continue to amaze me. I love it...LOVE it!
I love love love this! You did such an amazing job! What a great idea for a Thanksgiving table.
Wow, what a great idea. A light box would come in handy for this project. I'll add this to the other gazillions of projects on my list.
So.. Do you think the window needs to be clean to achieve a clear legible trace??? Because, mines not gonna be clean until Thanksgiving day 20 minutes before guests arrive and then it will only be clean for 10 minutes (we'll have 5 under the age of 18 months at our house...)
Love the idea... I think I'll make painters cloth table decor for every day of the week... we need a good drop cloth for the ground too!
Wow! That is a really fantastic idea and what a bargain!
It looks awesome! Just as good as the one from the magazine.
And I had to laugh when I saw your comment about how your husband didn't even ask what you were up to. My husband is the same. He knows it's something crafty and he'll see it finished soon enough.
Again, great job! I didn't see your post last week. I may have to do that next year {since it's only a couple days away and I'm at my in-laws}
:)
BEAUTIFUL!! It's looking great! :) Vanessa
What a neat idea. I love the tablecloth!
It turned out awesome - love the font you used and I agree with others that the possibilities are endless for these to help celebrate special days.
what a great project kimba! i'd love to do something like this for christmas, since we aren't hosting thanksgiving this year and i already have a fall tablecloth... hmmmm......
Oh my goodness...great idea and good job at recreating it!
You have the BEST ideas! I wish I could spend a day with you....just storing up decorating knowledge!!! :) Your projects and creativeness rock!!! Love this project!!!
I love that you just went ahead and did this! Great job!
Now can you show us how to whip up that beautiful wooden panelling in the BHG picture too? :)
Wow, it looks great! I am so impressed.
You've GOT to be kidding me. I've been drooling over this "project", but I was so not going to tackle it. Leave it to you! It looks beautiful!
Great post! You did a beautiful job!!! Twice on the wrong side, huh? I laughed at the part about your hubby just choosing to ignore the process. Funny!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Shannon
Wow, you did an awesome job!
Very cute idea, Kimba! OK, so how long did this take? I love the look of it. There's so many pretty table settings out there now.
Yipee for keeping it real, but come on, let's get real....you are AMAZING!! I am with Rhoda - I want to know how long it took you to be amazing, and trying to figure out if I have the time to copy your amazement.
You are amazing and the tablecloth is fabulous! The comment about your husband made me laugh! Such a good man.
Great job on the tablecloth. I love it.
You did a wonderful job on this. What a great idea!!!
Nice work, Kimba! It's beautiful!
What a fabulous idea and so exactly my taste! Obviously no way I could get it done by this Thanksgiving (I do sometimes know my limitations!), but how fun to think of a Christmas tablecloth or even other holidays.
Thank you!
okay, this makes it official, you are the Queen of D.I.Y. I'm not worthy!
(did you get the book??? - goodness I surely hope so)
Great job! Happy Thanksgiving. Jackie
LOVE IT! You did a great job! I will file this for our new house for next Thanksgiving! Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!
~*giggle*~
Just adorable, girl. I love it!
Suzanne
Eeeew! Pretty! When I saw the words, I thought of the song and then can't get it out of my head now. "Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One...lalalalala...." (couldn't 'member the rest...) Purdy job ya done there, girlie!
Good heavens lady! You always have something simply Fabulous!!! going on here. Since I'm going elsewhere for Thanksgiving dinner, I'm going to make me one of these for Christmas...I'm so excited!!! Thanks for the tutorial! (oh, and I would definitely be someone who would trace it on the wrong side of the fabric.)
Kimba,
I fell in love with that tablecloth when I saw it in BHG. But you know what? I like your version even more! It turned out absolutely beautiful, ... breathtaking even.
p.s. Thanks for keepin it real for us. That's why we love you so much!:)
What a GREAT looking table cloth! Make multiples and sell them next year. Awesome.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
Oh, this turned out fabulous! I love it. Brilliant idea with the drop cloth.
Beautiful! I love you give me a "how-to" on the things I would never attempt otherwise. You are great!
BEAUTIFUL! LOVE that tablecloth! You are awesome- I wouldn't have the patience to trace and paint so I'll just enjoy the pictures of yours!
Happy Thanksgiving!
LOVE that you did this and also showed us how! I found your post late last night and I am telling you it was the first thing on my mind when I woke up this morning: Do I have enough time to make one before Thursday?!? We shall see.
Thanks again!
WOW! What a statment that makes! I would have never seen this in a magazine and then thought about making it. Wonderful and thank you for sharing.
just discovered your site and that is beautiful!
Awesome tablecloth! I made monogram napkins for Thanksgiving! I am going to do a tutorial tomorrow on my blog and was wanting to know if I could do a link to your blog for the tablecloth?
Thanks bunches
allisha@hermajestyqueenb.com
Wow that is really amazing! Wish I was doing Thanksgiving at my house now. Thanks for the tutorial!
Love this project -- it turned out amazing!! Love the idea of using a painter's cloth, too!! :)
I really love this. It is wonderful and could be used for any special day! Thanks for the information on this!
Lovely!!! I love this idea.
Beautiful tablecloth! I wish I were having Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. I'll have to remember this one for another year. Thanks for sharing.
Your tablecloth is just beautiful! You did a fantastic job - thanks for sharing!
Oh that turned out so great! Thanks for the tutorial. I saw that tablecloth on BHG too, but couldn't even begin to wrap my head around how to do that. You are fabulously creative! Thanks a ton!
How in the world did you keep that all straight and everything hanging on the door like that? Great job!
You are just so CRAFTY....what a wonderful tablecloth!!! I really had to laugh about your husband not even asking what you were doing....that is too FUNNY!
I thought that tablecloth was gorgeous also - and look how easy you made it seem to copy the idea for much less! I might have to give this one a try next year!
LOVE IT!!!
I'm so mad that I missed this post yesterday--I just added it to my Thanksgiving Bird Watching Post because you are my hero!
Happy Thanksgiving!
What a wonderful idea...thank you.
Now, I need to find my table...somewhere beneath the laptop, school books, cooks books and crayons...I think.
When I first saw your post with this tablecloth I thought - "I'm sure that can be recreated" - but I didn't really think much more about it. But you came up with a great and pretty easy way to replicate this. Love it! I have a beautiful kitchen table with a bench on one side. That phrase would look so good on that side with no chairs to block it. Love it!
{Sigh}. Creative genius.
This is great! I think I'll modify it a bit for Christmas... mmmm...
http://elislids.blogspot.com/
What an awesome project!!! I love it!!!
This is awesome! Thanks for the idea and the how-to. Its definitely something I'll have to give a try, but it may not make it into the schedule before Thanksgiving. Maybe next year...
Bravo! Bravo! I love it. Especially the part about your husband not even asking.
Priceless.
That's a beautiful tablecloth. Great job!
Well I am your #81 comment! So I will tell you again....turned out great. thanks for showing us semi-talented bloggers how it's done cause I would not have guess the taping to the sliding glass door! So thanks for the info!!!
Great reproduction! You could use that technique for lots of occasions!
YOU are soooo COOL and inventive. I will so do that one! YOU ROCK!
Love this!!! I actually like yours better! Thanks for sharing the directions!
wow... that is such a great idea and you made it look so easy, simple and affordable!
thank you for sharing your creative ideas with the rest of us.
I love that table cloth! You did a great job, I don't think I would've had the patience for the tracing!
Oh my..do I have time to buy the stuff and do it tomorrow before my family gets here???I doubt it..but I love it and will remember this!
Happy Thanksgiving, Soft Place to Land!
-sandy toes
Wow. I am in awe of your ability to make that. I wouldn't have a clue how to do that if I didn't have step by step instructions. And even if I did, my letters would be all crooked and sloppy. Your beautiful tablecloth will be part of a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition for your family. Great job!
I am so totally drooling over beautiful table cloth!!! Would you mind sharing what font you used?
Kate
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Love it! And I know it is something I can do. Bonus points for being inexpensive. My dining room table is "well loved" and I need to cover the scarred top when we have company. Thanks for the great idea and how-to steps.
This is so beautiful and so impressive and so much more work than I am willing to take on - LOL!
I do love it though - turned out gorgeous!
WOW! I love this! I dont have time to do it before tomorrow, but maybe a Christmas one is in store?!?! I want to make this and save it for next year though, thats for certain! :)
Amazing! That must have taken hours! Now I need to go make something!!
That is gorgeous....I love it. I cannot wait to make one for Christmas this year!
Peace~
Michelle
Wonderful! I love it!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Manuela
How clever to use the paint drop cloth! Love it! I may venture to do that, next year. Thanks for sharing!
That is just amazing. I am going to have to bookmark this for next year.
My white bed sheet tablecloth looks sooo sad now ;)
beautiful, kim. really beautiful!
Wow, Kimba, that is really beautiful and what a fabulous idea! Happy Thanksgiving to you!!
It looks fantastic - such an effective idea. I must try it - maybe for Christmas.
Hope the early rising is still going ok!
Jessica :) (A fellow 5.16am riser!)
love this...i wonder if i have time to do this before 2pm today?
wow! you go girl!
BHG has nothin' on you, girl! What a great project. Thanks for the inspiration.
great job - love it!
Great job on the DIY! I just may replicate your project for next year! Thanks for the inspiration!
What a wonderful idea.. I did not see in BHG--- but I love your idea! Where would I find your curtains you made for your outdoor porch? I have a screened back porch with lots of windows and would love to dress it up a little :)
I like your table cloth much better than your inspiration!! Anyone who would spend the $$ for the one you saw is just crazy!
How much do I love this??
(a lot.)
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