About Round Tablecloths

Round tablecloths come in a wide variety of styles and serve many functions. Round tablecloths may protect a patio table for a summer picnic or create a festive look for a holiday dinner. They can cover and highlight a decorative side table or provide an elegant arrangement of matching tables for a wedding reception. Does this Spark an idea?

Identification

Most round tablecloths are made from cotton or cotton-polyester blends, although some--such as microfiber tablecloths--may be 100 percent polyester. Outdoor tablecloths are often made from vinyl, or cotton with a laminated coating, to make them more waterproof and spill-proof. Some round outdoor tablecloths include a hole in the center to go around the post of a patio table umbrella. Some tablecloth materials are machine washable, others are dry-clean only, and some include a stain-resistant coating.

Features

Most round tablecloths hang over the edge of the table all the way around, to fully cover the tabletop and to help hold the tablecloth in place. Some round tablecloths, especially those for end tables and display tables rather than dining tables, come all the way to the floor. Some designers use both a floor-length tablecloth to hide the legs of the table and a contrasting tablecloth on top. Other round tablecloths have elastic around the edges and are designed to fit snugly around the top of the table, like a shower cap, with no overhanging edge.

Size

Some of the most common sizes for round tablecloths include 70 inches and 90 inches, although some round tablecloths are 60 inches or smaller. Oversized tablecloths run as large as 120 inches. Most tablecloths are designed to hang over the edges of the table, with an 8- to 10-inch drop. A 70-inch tablecloth will fit a 44- to 60-inch round table, and a 90-inch tablecloth will fit a table that's 60 to 78 inches in diameter. A long or floor-length tablecloth needs and even larger drop.

Benefits

Round tablecloths provide a decorative and protective cover for the top of a round table and fit more evenly over a round table than a square or oblong tablecloth would. Tablecloths come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and textures, and many square and oblong tablecloth styles are also available in round shapes and sizes. The tablecloth color can highlight other colors in the room or provide a festive look for a particular occasion or holiday.

Expert Insight

Round tablecloths are often placed on top of a table pad. Thin foam table pads protect the table from hot dishes and help hold the tablecloth in place. Table pads can also help create a smoother tablecloth surface on a table with a bumpy or heavily scratched top. In choosing a round tablecloth, buyers may want to consider the size of the table, how much drop they want around the sides, the color and pattern of the tablecloth, whether the material is machine washable or stain resistant, and whether matching cloth napkins are available.