There once was a time when we simply draped a plain piece of fabric across a table and called it good. Then we started experimenting with new-but-old materials, like burlap, and dared to leave the edges frayed. Now we do all sorts of things from bandannas to quilts, but these five table runners take the cake for being unusual, beautiful, and centerpieces in themselves.
1. Add a colorful burst of whimsy to your table with this pretty pinwheel table runner. Green Wedding Shoes has a DIY tutorial here!
2. Garlands are not just for hanging. This green runner was made from bunches of magnolia leaves wired together and left to gracefully drape down the side of the table.
3. This dramatic living succulent runner by Tend (in collaboration with Sugar and Fluff) was designed for a wedding showcase. Swoon!
4. For a simple and rustic tablescape, event designer Sugar and Fluff draped a sheet of moss down the table and accented with natural elements, like twigs and flowers.
5. This Polaroid runner is a brilliant idea for a personal get-together, like a reunion, birthday, or holiday dinner. Simply tape Polaroids (or any old photos) together on the back to create a nostalgic setting.
MORE DIY TABLE RUNNERS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• DIY Jute Table Runner
• A DIY Quilted Table Runner
• 5 No-Sew DIY Table Runner Ideas
(Images: 1. Green Wedding Shoes; 2. White Loft Studio via Style Me Pretty; 3. Tend; 4. Christine Farah Photography; 5. Jen Huang Photography via Occasions Online)
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So where is the point where 'Even Remotely Functional' just flies right out the window and 'Purely Visual' takes it's place?
Am I really the only one here who serves holiday dinners family style? Please explain how the heck a serving bowl is going to fit on any one of those tables.
Beautiful yes, practical no. What happens when you start putting all the bowls and platters on the table unless you have a side board/buffet.
LOL. Most of those are crazy...
I was going to say, my table runner is basically large plates and bowls of food served family style.
At the first glance, I thought the #5 was cash! :)
A lot of the time I don't like visual clutter (big bowls/casserole dishes) at dinner parties, although it is practical. These runners are all very visually appealing, and the succulent one is just over the top beautiful. It's a shame I live in a teensy tiny apartment without a long table!
I'm with all you guys about the impracticality of these runners (never mind serving, many of these would ruin a wood table), and @Kaija - I thought the same, only that perhaps it was monopoly money!
While I'd never use any of these for a dinner party, I like the idea of the pinwheel runner for when my table is sitting empty.
I’m pretty sure I would leave all 5 of these dinner parties hungry.
THERE ARE SUCCULENTS IN THE MASH POTATOES! Jeez, people. Maybe there is a buffet or sideboard off to the side for serving.
The succulents are definitely my favorite!
Function really does have a trump card over form, especially when food's involved. Creativity for its own sake doesn't usually make a lasting impact. It's like a designer who covers a flyer with whiz-bang graphics that crowd out white space and copy, competing with rather than complementing and reinforcing the informational purpose of the piece. Most of these are attractive on their own as decoration for a static surface but not (to me) as centerpieces of a dining table in use.
I like the moss. It's colorful and unusual without getting in the way.
The others: not so much.
Me too!
Very pretty, I envy people who have enough space elsewhere to do this, but I'm another "family style" server. I only do big meals at home for holidays, and then the whole table is full of serving dishes, so I can't even fit in a central bouquet, let alone a runner that can't be buried in food! (And I DO have something that can be used as a buffet, but I prefer to have seconds at my fingertips!)
Some of these could be used on fireplace mantles or even hanging on walls, though, so the concepts are not limited to tabletops.