Easy Ruffle Table Runner

Happy Monday!

Since we had quite the cold and snowy weather on Saturday, I took full advantage of it and stayed inside!

I’ve really been wanting a table runner for the breakfast nook. If you follow me on facebook, you probably saw that I posted one I loved. But I couldn’t make myself spend $30 on a table runner. Not when I knew I had a whole heap of lovely linen fabric just waiting to be used.

Lately, I’ve been all about ruffles. They add a softness that can’t be beat. I’m planning on doing a few darker accessories in the room, so I like the way ruffles will play with them.

Darling, right?

Here’s how I made it:

I happened to have a few remnant pieces of linen, but didn’t have enough length of one fabric to do the runner and the ruffles, so adding the ruffles in a different color was the perfect option- in more ways than one! I love the two toned affect!

I started by washing my fabric. I knew that this would probably need to be washed in the future, and I didn’t want it to shrink. Once it was dry, I started the ironing process!

Then I trimmed off all the strings and started to make my finished edges for both sides of the runner.

I folded the edge over a 1/2″ and ironed it in place.

And then folded the same side over another 1/2″ and ironed in place.

I did the same thing to the other side and was left with two sides that were ready to be sewn.

With my sewing machine, I sewed a seam on both side edges.

With that part done, I moved on the the ruffle.

I knew my table runner was 15 1/2″ wide. So, I cut my second fabric extra long, 43″, not knowing how much fabric the “ruffle” would use. I am so glad I did that! I used every bit of that 43″ strip! The strips ended up being 43″ long x 5″ wide.

Once I cut my fabric for the ruffle, I sewed a seam at the top of the fabric ( long side), about 1/2 inch down from the top.

With the seam in place, I tied a not at the bottom of the fabric with the loose strings. It’s very important that you know which is the top and bottom of your seam. If you mix them up, the string won’t pull through properly and you will have a partial ruffle. Or you could break your sting. Not fun. I speak write from experience…

Then, with bottom string of the top of the seam, begin gently pulling the string while pushing the fabric in the opposite direction that you’re pulling.

Keep pulling and pushing while you work your way down the length of the fabric. You will start to collect a handful of the string you are pulling.

Keep working it down… and double check that the knot on the other end it snug. At this point it would be a total bummer for the knot to break. If that happens, you’ll pull the string out. Again, I may or may not be speaking writing from experience…

Once you are done ruffling, tie off the other end and cut the excess string.

Now, do that again for the other ruffle.

Linen has a natural desire to fray and I helped it out by pulling the edge strings on the bottom of the ruffle.

Once both ruffles were done, I pinned them onto the actual table runner.

After each side was pinned, I began sewing them in place.

This was the hardest part of the sewing. The ruffle can be quite thick in some places, making it a smidge hard to get a straight seam. Life will go on. Promise. I’m still here.

🙂

Because I used linen, and linen loves to wrinkle, let’s iron again!

And it’s done!

Step back and admire the beauty!

Goodness!

Originally, my plan was to cut off the green seam that came on the fabric. But once I saw it, I loved it. It stayed. Both ends have it!

Here’s where the fraying really pays off! Lovely added detail.

Love that ruffle!

I couldn’t be happier with this project! It turned our so lovely, and now I’m itching to add another ruffle or two throughout our house.

Plus, the runner I wanted was $30 and didn’t have the ruffles. I spent $5 months ago on my fabric and mine has ruffles.

Pure happiness!

🙂

P.S.- The exact measurements for the runner are: 15 1/2 ” wide x 61 1/2″ long (including the ruffle).

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