{DIY} How to Make a No Sew Ruffle Tablecloth for Less than $10

Sep

{DIY} How to Make a No Sew Ruffle Tablecloth for Less than $10

I am not a sewer. So when I see great DIYs that involve fabric but no sewing I'm always excited. This DIY comes from Laurel at A Bubbly Life and it is brilliant, a no sew ruffle tablecloth that cost less than $10 to make. Show me how, Laurel!!

When planning my daughter's 1st birthday, I began looking for the trendy ruffled tablecloths that look so stunningly cute on tables. However, I was unprepared for the cost, typically over $100. I was not willing to spend that on a tablecloth, and without any sewing abilities whatsoever, I let the idea stay a dream.

Then one lovely day at the thrift store, I found 3 of these pink ruffled sheets.

With no particular plan in mind, I grabbed them up and knew I could make something work (even if I can't sew). For $1.99 each, I could not pass it up!

Supplies:

Ruffled material, bed skirt, curtain or other thrifted supply with ruffles (I used 3 ruffled sheets measuring 41.5" X 85" each)
Washable fabric glue
Heavy books

Directions:

Prep your fabric. (When I pick up any item from a thirft/yard/Craigslist I clean it thoroughly. I ran the sheets through the wash with bleach then ironed them.)

Take two of the sheets, lay one down on your surface, take the other sheet and place it on top of the bottom sheet and choose your desired look for the ruffle.

I chose for the ruffle to end right above where the other ruffle begins. You may want to space them out if you desire, I liked the very ruffled look for mine.

Apply glue onto one sheet and press firmly together with the other sheet. You don't need to cut out the ruffle before gluing. I just put the sheets on top of each other and ended up with a nice thick tablecloth.

Lay books (or other heavy objects) on top to seal the glue. ( The glue says it will hold in 3-5 minutes, mine did not. I waited at least 45 minutes and the sheets were securely bonded. )

Repeat until all sheets are glued together. Since I had three sheets I did this 6 times: one layer of glue on the long side, one layer of glue on the two short sides. If you are working on a large surface to accommodate entire sheet, you can glue all at once.

(If your sheets are of thin material- use caution with the surface you are gluing on, the glue will bleed through to the surface. Use something below the sheet to protect the surface.)

And here's how mine turned out!

Thrift store note: You may have thought I got lucky with the ruffled sheets, but I see them every time I visit thrift stores (this is not an example of that rare jewel at the store!) (unless it is an Ohio thing?) I DID get lucky with the soft pink color, which is what I wanted.

However, if you do not find your desired color- dye it! Or get multiple shades for an ombre look! With persistence, you can find your own thrifted DIY beauty!

Now I just need to find someone to throw a girly wedding shower for because I cannot wait to use the tablecloth. Hmm maybe a shabby chic tea? Anyone in Ohio want to join me? Thank you, Laurel for this ingenious DIY! The tablecloth looks great! If I lived in Ohio I would definitely join you.

To learn more about Laurel and read about all her crafty mommy adventures, head to her blog, A Bubbly Life.

Comments

Mystery Detective S says...

@ 12:04 on Sep 25, 2012

It's true that you can't get any ruffled tablecloth less than $100 without the design and quality you want but, this DIY stuff is definitely a life saver. With no sewing and no pins, you can get that ruffled table cloth ready and on time like last minute party preparations. While your excited to use your new creation, I'm getting excited to work on one too!