Fitted Ruffle Tablecloth

I love the concept of table cloths, but I hate using them with kids because they just get constantly messed up, shifted, and pulled off. That's why I fell in love with the idea of a fitted tablecloth!

Just like a fitted sheet, the tablecloth stays in place throughout the meal...even with kids getting in and out of their seat and sliding plates everywhere. The ruffle gives it a fun, feminine feel and makes the table setting feel that much fancier.


To start, measure your tablecloth on your table. I used a tablecloth I found on clearance...or you could use a sheet or a cut of fabric. I made sure there were about 3 inches on each side of the tablecloth.

Cut the tablecloth and put it back on the table upside down (pattern on the under-side). Pin the corners of the cloth to make it fitted to the table. Try to make the corners are nice and straight.

Sew the corners, cut off the excess fabric, and finish the edges (pinking shears, zig zag stitch, or serge). Make sure the tablecloth is "inside out" if there is a print or pattern on one side. Put it back on the table to make sure everything fits.

Now, cut several strips of fabric however wide you want the ruffle to be, and sew them all together. Make sure the seams are on the wrong side of the fabric. Finish the edges. It will need to be considerably longer than the tablecloth's circumference to make ruffles.

Sew a hem all the way around one side of the ruffle.

Pin the right side of the ruffle (the side that's not hemmed) to the right side of the tablecloth. As you go along, make pleats or ruffles by overlapping the ruffle fabric slightly. I folded my ruffle in half and pinned that half to the opposite side of the tablecloth that I started on to make sure I didn't use too much of the ruffle on one half.

Sew the ruffle to the tablecloth. Finish the edges. Put it on your table and admire your new creation!

This took me quite a while, but I love how it turned out, and have made two other fitted ruffle tablecloths because I love them so much! Please let me know if anything is confusing or if you have any questions!

Thank you The Latina Next Door for the inspiration!