Choosing a tablecloth comes down to one question: are you washing it afterward? For a party on rented folding tables, a disposable cover is the right answer. Our linen-like paper covers have the look and drape of cloth and come in a full color range from red and fuchsia to hunter green, navy, silver, gold, black, ivory, and white. The paper gingham cloths add navy, green, yellow, blue, and pink checks, and they recycle or compost when the party ends.
For a table you set again and again, the cotton cloths are worth the laundering. Gingham in sage, hunter, nutmeg, cream, blush, baby blue, goldenrod, poppy, olive, and lime. Plaids in sienna, saffron, black, and red. Soho solids, Goldie stripe, and a white lace cloth for something more formal. The ruffled cloths come in both round and rectangle, and several are finished with a stain-resistant coating.
Sizing is the part people get wrong. Measure the table, decide how far you want the cloth to hang, then add twice that drop to both dimensions. A 15 inch drop is standard for a seated dinner and hides chair legs without pooling. A floor-length drop of 29 inches is for a buffet or a cake table, where nobody is sitting and you want the legs covered completely. Round tables follow the same rule using the diameter.
Layer a table runner down the center, set each seat with a placemat, and finish with napkins that pull one color out of the cloth.
