Do it yourself table runner

While my mom was here she wanted to work on an easy project. After reading a post about do it yourself table runners on A Thoughtful Place, we decided to give it a try! This project is perfect because it requires absolutely no sewing...and it's also inexpensive. Score!

You will need a 6x9 canvas drop cloth. I found mine at Home Depot for under $10.  With this drop cloth you can make 4 table runners! What a deal! (I've also seen people make curtains out of these drop cloths, they are very versatile). You will also need wide painter's tape. The one we used was 2 inches wide. And then pick out a spray paint of your choice. I chose black because it's what I had on hand.

We used a table runner I already had to estimate the width and length. It turned out to be approximately 71 inches long and 13.5 inches wide. 

Cut the canvas to the size you want but leave about a half an inch on the unfinished sides.

Since this is no-sew I just used hot glue to secure the unfinished side. Make it easier on yourself by ironing your seam before you glue. 

Then use a hot glue gun to secure it. You will only have to do this to the top and one side because the other top and side are already sewn for you. When we made our second table runner (yes, we made 2!) we had to do this process for both sides because we cut the second one in the middle of the canvas so it did not have a pre-sewn edge....make sure to leave a half an inch on both sides in that case.

Then, use your painter's tape to tape a design on the runner. I went with a chevron design. Just a word of warning....this process took forever! At least an hour. I measured the middle of my runner so that I could line up the point of my chevron. Then I just eyeballed the rest. Once I had the first chevron down I used scrap pieces of tape to mark where the next one should go. And my mom totally helped me. I'm not so good with geometry and angles....and this totally brought back bad high school math memories! It didn't turn out perfectly, but I am probably the only one that will see the imperfections!

My mom made it much easier on herself and did stripes on her runner. It was so much faster.

After you tape your design then you get to spray paint it! Apply 2 coats of paint, allowing time for it to dry in-between coats.

Here is my finished table runner! I love how it turned out. 

And here is my mom's. Super cute and super easy. Here's a tip: make sure you press the tape down hard so that no spray paint can leak through. There are a few spots where the paint leaked through on ours, but it's not that noticeable. 

I still have enough canvas left over to make two more runners...I'm thinking one with a monogram on it is next!