Decorating Tip #9: The Custom Table Skirt!

The best look for staged bedroom lamp tables are instant tables with custom table skirts. They are easy to make and so much better than using sheets. No more lugging heavy lamp tables...who needs that headache!

You can buy 3 legged round tables in 18" to 30" in diameter. I use the smaller sized tables for night stands. I use the 30" tables for sitting areas in master bedrooms in place of heavy dressers. They are also beautiful as a table in a family room or living room for any vignette setting. The legs unscrew and the table lays flat. (The chair cover in this photo is ugly so don't copy that unless your chair is uglier)

Decorator fabric usually comes in 54" widths (2" of these inches are salvage edges). To make a custom table round, measure your tabletop plus drop plus drop. Here is a chart for your fabric:

The diagrams below are not drawn to scale...

Table skirt for a 30" table with a 30" drop (no topper):

• Solid fabric - 5 yards
  
• Cut your fabric at 90" and then split the remaining fabric in half lengthwise

Sew the split fabric to the sides of the solid piece

• Fold your fabric in half and then half again. The corner without edges is your center - mark it with chalk or a pin, then lay your fabric out flat
• With a 45 inch string, put one end of the string at the center of the wrong side of the fabric and swing your string around in a circle marking your fabric with a chalk.
  
• Cut fabric at the chalk line and now you have a 90 inch circle
• Sew a half inch hem all the way around
• to add trim such as fringe or a large welt you need 8.50 yards.
  
• You can buy ready made 2" welt's in solid fabrics. Just stitch it on per instructions
• For a 3" or 4" fringe, lay it on the edge with the bottom of the fringe hanging at the edge of the skirt and top stitch it on.

Table skirt for a 30" table with a 30" drop and square topper:

• Cut at 2 1/2 yards as seen above
• Then sew them side by side seen below

• Then make your circle with chalk as shown before and cut at the chalk line. The seam will be down the middle of the table skirt but will be hidden with a 52 inch square topper.
• To make a square topper - simply buy 54" of fabric at 54" width and hem.
  

For a 20 inch table with a 24 inch drop in a solid fabric - 3.8 yards - follow either of the cutting and sewing instructions above. The topper for a 20" table will be 36" square.

Now you have instructions how to make your own custom table skirts with toppers, your own headboards, instant beds

Next I will cover how to make your own folding partitions. Happy staging!