Sizing Up Your Table Runner: A Practical Guide

Say, you’re looking to spruce up that old dining table, give it a bit of pep, maybe impress the Missus. You’ve heard tell of these here table runners, see, but you wouldn’t want to go and drape just any old rag across your mahogany. You—yes, you!—deserve a runner that fits like a glove, a runner that’ll make those visiting salesmen sit up and take notice.

First off, get yourself a yardstick and figure out the dimensions of that table of yours. Got a tape measure? Even better. Measure the width and length, and don’t you go forgetting about any of those fancy extensions or drop-leaves your table might have. We wouldn’t want the runner coming up short, now, would we?

Now, take that width measurement and divide it by three. That’s right, three, like the Sacred Trinity of good food, good company, and a darn fine table setting! That number you get, that’s roughly the width your runner should be. Gives you a nice, balanced look, understand?

As for the length, well, you’ll want the runner to hang over the edges a bit, like a good story. Six inches on either end is standard, though you can go a tad longer if you’re feeling flamboyant. Just be sure it ain’t so long that folks are tripping over it like a bunch of rummies after a Fourth of July parade.

And listen, if you’re the kind of fellow who likes a good, old-fashioned tablecloth under their runner, make sure those ends are even. Can’t be having one hanging lower than the other, looking like a lopsided grin.

Of course, there are other shapes of tables besides those long rectangular ones. Round, oval, square—you name it, folks have ’em. And don’t you worry, the same basic principles apply. Just remember: one-third the width of the table for the runner’s width, plus a six-inch drop on either end, and you’ll be sitting pretty.