DIY: Burlap Holiday Table Runners
- 30m Prep Time
- 0sCook Time
- 30m Ready In
Makes 1 runner the most satisfying part about hosting big holiday meals for a crowd is that more people are always welcome—and usually, that means patching together a series of tables that may not necessarily be complementary. Pull them all together visually by making a pretty table runner that covers them all: Start with a length of burlap cloth (which you can buy in long 14-inch-wide rolls at craft stores or online), then simply cut it about 20 inches longer than the table mash-up you want to cover and decorate. Use scissors and your fingers to make a pretty fringe at the short ends, embroider it with simple string, yarn, or thread, then tuck short-stemmed fresh flowers and greenery into the string for a super festive look that doesn’t prevent people from being able to see each other. It’s much more economical than purchasing something new, especially if you can find pretty greens or small branches on your own property. Top off the decorations with some dried citrus wheels (this page)—or use your imagination. The runner is just the jumping-off point! The sturdier the greens you choose, the longer the runner will last. If you’re starting with a new roll of burlap, trim off the hemmed end—you want to start with a raw edge before you cut the length of cloth to size so you can make the fringe.
Ingredients
- burlap cloth
- 1 size-6 quilting needle
- 2 pieces white cotton string, yarn, or embroidery thread
- fresh flowers and greenery
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 1 of 4 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 10.8 mg
- Iron: 0.22 mg
- Magnesium: 13.5 mg
- Phosphorus: 23.4 mg
- Potassium: 223 mg
- Zinc: 0.13 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- burlap cloth
- 1 size-6 quilting needle
- 2 pieces white cotton string, yarn, or embroidery thread
- fresh flowers and greenery
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Measure the combined length of your tables. Cut a piece of 14-inch-wide burlap about 20 inches longer than that total length. If starting from a new roll, first trim off the hemmed end to get a raw edge.
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Step 2.
On one short edge of the burlap, make a 4-inch cut parallel to the length, about ¼ inch in from the long edge. Repeat on the other side of the same short edge, creating two cuts 4 inches apart.
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Step 3.
Using your fingers, loosen and pull out the crosswise burlap strings between the two cuts, one at a time, until you have 4 inches of fringe. Set the pulled strings aside. Repeat the cutting and fringing process on the opposite short end.
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Step 4.
Thread a size-6 quilting needle with a 3-foot-long piece of white cotton string, yarn, or embroidery thread. Center the string and knot the two ends together. Position the runner with a fringed end facing you.
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Step 5.
Starting on the back side of the runner, poke the needle up through the burlap about ½ inch from where the fringe begins on the right side. Pull the string through until the knot stops it. Then poke the needle back down through the burlap from the top about 1 inch to the left of where it came out. Pull taut. Continue this up-and-down stitch at 1-inch intervals, moving left, until you reach the left edge, ending with the needle going down. Tie a knot on the back side and trim the string ends. Repeat this embroidery on the other fringed end.
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Step 6.
Thread the needle with a 6-foot-long string, knotted at the ends. Starting at one end, embroider a line of dashes down the center of the runner lengthwise, using the same up-and-down stitch at 1-inch intervals. When you run out of string, knot off on the back, start a new 6-foot string, and continue until the entire center line is embroidered.
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Step 7.
Center the runner on the table. No more than 6 hours before serving, cut the stems of fresh flowers and greenery (such as fern, eucalyptus, lemon leaves, evergreen branches, or woody herbs) to about 4 inches long. Tuck the stems under the string dashes along the center of the runner, arranging them as desired.