New Runner for $3.50 and 30 minutes

Need a bright pop of color on a table or other surface? Make a table runner from a scrap of fabric! It’s easier and more affordable than you may think. You can make a new runner for $3.50 and 30 minutes’ of time!

When we bought a new (well, new-to-us) piano, we loved it, but the black and white was just so stark, especially in our new, colorful, bright dining room.

Before – yawn.

That corner needed some color. I thought a table runner on the piano top might help.

I was at Ikea (when buying the white curtains I transformed for the dining room) and found a remnant of bright colorful fabric. It was only half a yard, and I thought it’d be perfect for a runner.

Because it was only half a yard, it was only $3.50! Wahoo!

The edges weren’t even, so I needed to hem them. But here’s the thing…

I don’t sew. At all.

So, enter fabric glue!

A miracle worker, I tell ya’.

This stuff is amazing! (I also used it when I made the faux Roman shades for my daughter’s room and the kitchen.) You can buy it here (affiliate link): Fabri-Tac glue.

I ran a line of glue along each side and folded the fabric over to create a hem.

Tip: for the ends of the fabric, to create a “hemmed” end, cut a square or triangle out of the corner. That will allow it to fold over without gapping or bunching up.

Cutting the corner at an angle to fold it in flat.

Cutting the corner square to fold it flat.

Let the glue dry, and voila! You have a table runner, ready to go!

It provided a much-needed pop of color in that corner.

And it only took about 30 minutes to make. A perfect afternoon project!