With all of the holiday meals coming up, you might as well just throw trivets and heat pads out the window. With so many hot dishes on the table, we're thinking an entire table runner that protects the center of the table is a good alternative.
A quilted table runner is thick enough to protect the tabletop from hot dishes. And it's large enough to sit in one place and receive passed dishes wherever they end up. That's a lot less chaotic than chasing your dishes around with trivets at a busy table!
Our favorite example we turned up (pictured here) is not some expensive piece you have to run out and buy. In fact, it's a DIY from over at The Purl Bee.
If, however, you're interested in purchasing a contemporary quilted runner, we suggest checking out Silly Boo Dilly on Etsy. Their works are beautiful and the runners can be used as wall hangings when they're not on your Thanksgiving tabletop!
Images: The Purl Bee
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Also you can put a blanket under the tablecloth. Comfy for us elbow leaners.
Just yesterday I was actually thinking of doing something like this for everyday use. My hsband and I are finally learning to break away from the couch dinner eating habit that has plagued us for years, and my husband is a big fan of brining the dishes of food to the table instead of dishing up on the counters. We're in need of some sort of massive oversized hotpad; thanks for the great example!