Oilcloth is one of those materials that I always love… but am never quite sure what to do with. I am so excited about the idea of making a protective placemat that covers the entire tabletop, especially since my table has to double as both elegant eating table and down-&-dirty workhorse craft table.
This gorgeous oilcloth placemat was designed and made by Laura Normandin of WREN Handmade, and I am obsessed with it. She created hers to protect her table from her enthusiastically-learning-to-eat baby, and it is a great idea for households with kids.
I want one to protect my table from Print Gocco ink, Plasti-dip, every kind of glue, paint markers, and all the permanently damaging materials I like to work with on its beautiful wood top. Why am I so rough on you, table? You know I love you.
The Nani Iro oilcloth that Laura used is amazing, but I'm also tempted to use the Oak Plank oilcloth from Bell'occhio- fake wood to save the real wood!
Image: WREN Handmade via The Purl Bee
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I love this idea, Tess! To help with cleaning up, I actually covered my last dining table in a black and white gingham oilcloth. (Table was not in great shape, so I felt fine about stapling stuff to its underbelly.)
My family needs this!!
For my dining table I covered it in postcards and then put a piece of glass over it. Company always wants to sit in different spots so they have different postcards to look at and the best part is a little windex and a quick wipe and it's sparkling clean again!! :)
I use the Lee Valley Tabletop Tarp on my small, square dining table that also doubles as a craft table. Only $4.95 USD.
Love, love this!
johnnylaguardia - the tabletop tarp is genius! It would make repotting plants so much easier for me, since I usually end up with dirt all over my apartment.
I use oilcloth as a tablecloth rather than having a giant placemat over a tablecloth. This would work well for someone who doesn't want to keep it on there all the time.
johnnylaguardia- that tarp is an amazing find! I need one, seriously. And like Sassyladie, my indoor repotting sessions usually end in disaster & tears (but happier plants).
Kimatdc- I wish I could claim any sort of credit for this idea, but it's all Laura. If I attempt one of my own I will definitely post my proud success or fabulous failure. (By the way, I'm jealous of your b&w gingham oilcloth- I can only ever seem to find bright colors but I want black & white!)
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where else online can you find nice oilcloth fabric? i like those mexican ones a lot but can never find any bright colorful ones online!
The Bell'Occhio faux bois oilcloth is lovely, but you can get the exact same thing for much cheaper from Oilcloth By The Yard. I'm having an Etsy shopowner make me one out of that stuff.
Also try Mendel's Far Out Fabrics and Oilcloth Alley.
Oilclothbytheyard.com?! Are you kidding me?! Thanks, ginnielizz!
Oilclothbytheyard.com also has a line called Freckledsage. It's tablecloths, dog mats, bike bags and all sorts of things made out of olcloth. What really cool is tht they make custom stuff too. Freckledsage is a website, but they also have stuff on etsy
Oh, and I've been buying from oilclothbytheyard for a while, they have the largest selection for sure.