Use Rubber Shelf Liner To Keep Tablecloths from Sliding

Table surfaces are slick, and keeping your tablecloth in position may require a grip pad in between the tabletop and the cloth. Using a rubber grip mat, such as shelf liner on tabletops will minimize movement by creating a little much needed friction.

These can not only minimize movement, but can also provide protection from hot plates and create padding to preserve the condition of the tabletop. 

Shelf liner is often used to create grip in a variety of situations to prevent unwanted sliding of all sorts of objects.

Several other uses for shelf liner

• Create grip for appliances on counter surfaces.
• Use under pet bowls to prevent them sliding across the floor during feeding.
• Place a piece next to front and back doors as it makes an excellent 'landing place' for dirty/wet shoes
• Place in between pot and pans, or fine china, to prevent scratching and dents
• Use it in the bathroom to prevent shampoo bottles from slipping of shelves, and also prevent these items from leaking onto bathroom surfaces and creating rust stains.
• Place some in your trunk to prevent items in your boot from moving around whilst cornering.
• Place a piece under a potted plant to prevent leaks and moisture from damaging decking

Basically, if you have an object on a slippery surface and you want to reduce its ability to move, then this stuff is great. It's also useful for protecting surfaces from spills and leaks as non adhesive liners are machine washable, meaning the liner can be re-used.

These aren't necessarily going to anchor your tablecloth but they'll contribute to minimizing the extent to which you tablecloth slips out of place.

Hold Down Your Tablecloth Using Clothes Pegs

If your looking for a clip or clamp for your tablecloth, perhaps think about what you already have around the house that can do the job. I'm thinking along the lines of binder clips or clothes pegs. 

If the edges of your table are relatively thin, then clothes pegs are almost the perfect option for holding down outdoor tablecloths, as they're readily available and do an excellent job of securing your tablecloth. 

The only drawback is that they may not exactly be the most attractive option. However, who is really going to notice or care? If anyone notices them, their first thought will probably be "hey, that's quite clever, why haven't I ever thought of that?".

Most people have multicolored sets of pegs, meaning you can choose colors which blend in with your cloth. You may even be able to do this in a way where you secure the cloth, and allow for more of the tablecloth to hang down over the peg, preventing it from being visible.

If you have thicker edges which will be too wide for a peg to clamp on to, read my blog post on specialized table edge clamps. 

The Usual Ways to Hold Down Tablecloths Vs DIY Tablecloth Anchors

There are some D.I.Y ways of holding down a tablecloth. However, here's some products you should know about which prevent slipping and sliding.

Basic Options

The clip pictured above are large version which are designed to be able to stretch out to fit thicker table top widths.

These cast iron bird tablecloth weights are described as 'heavy weight' and are some of the heavier weights I have been able to find online. They're also quite attractive and don't look tacky like lots of other versions.

Or you could check out these clamps, which are spring loaded to fit firmly.

If you'd rather get a little bit more forceful (and hands on) then these D.I.Y tablecloth anchors may be the way to go.


D.I.Y Anchor with bungee cord and grommets

It takes a little effort, but is definitely a solution to the problem.

What you will need:

-Preferably three 12" bungee cords.
-Grommet kit (including cutting block, hole cutter and insert punch)
-Hammer

The edges of the tablecloth need to be folded over around 2 inches and bang the holes with the hole cutter using your hammer. Preferably, you'll place three along each side, approximately in the middle of your folded edge. After attaching the grommets according to the instructions provided with them, you simply have to stretch the bungee cord underneath to the grommet hoe on the other side. 

Heavy weight tablecloths

You also might be interested in heavy tablecloths that are less likely to slip and slide around. Have a look around for something heavy enough to stay put.

Picnic or barbeque tablecloth weights

If you're looking for a solution to your tablecloth blowing away, these could be exactly what you're looking for. These tablecloth weights will look cool on outdoor tables, at barbeques or picnics. These are obviously barbeque/picnic themed.

These are actually quite detailed. Reviewers state that they're well made, with vivid detail. In your own back garden these should be fine to prevent corners flipping up and provide a bit of resistance against the wind. Perhaps in windier conditions at the beach you'll need something a little heavier, or a set of clips.

How much do they weigh?

Well, as far as I can see, the weight of each piece isn't mentioned on the Amazon product page. The only weight I can see is the shipping weight of 1lb. One reviewer says they're heavy, another says not as heavy as they'd like. 

As you can see, these are quite well made. I'm actually getting hungry just looking at them.

These come in a 4 piece set. 

They can be viewed on Amazon.


Another popular option is these ant weights.

The ants are made of resin and attached to metal clips. They're hand painted and come packaged in a gift box. Ants at a picnic are usually the last thing you want, but these are quite cute and are described as being a bit of a conversation piece, which kids also love. I think my dislike of ants makes these a little less appealing to me. I think my pets food bowls have been swarmed by ants a few too many times.

How much do they weigh?

Once again, for some reason, the product page does not list an actual weight, meaning you'll just have to order them and hope they'll do the job. You'd think that including the weight in the product description would be a pretty basic expectation. A coupe of people reviewed these as being plenty heavy enough, whilst others have said they need them to be heavier.

These are a pretty cool gift idea. These come in a pack of 4.

They can be viewed on Amazon

Heavy Weight Tablecloth Is Also Spill Proof

The tablecloth shown here is not only made of heavy material to prevent slipping and sliding, but is also spill-proof, removing another irritating aspect.

This tablecloth looks attractive rather than many other plastic or spill-proof cloths. It's 100% polyester and spills simply "bead up" on its surface, with no staining. The product description states that this is machine washable. However, a couple of reviewers have stated that they experienced issues when washing, as imperfections appeared afterwards. I would imagine that its spill proof nature would make washing largely unnecessary as you could simply wipe it with a cloth. 

I personally would buy this simply for its spill resistance. However, it's also quite attractive and in my opinion allows a table to maintain a little class. 

It's available in several colors such as ivory, taupe and sage.

I can't imagine how many times I've slopped pasta sauce or put coffee rings on my tablecloths and then left stains there after putting in a feeble effort to wipe them away with a cloth. I can even remember positioning things on my tables in order to cover stains when I had guests come to my house. I'd imagine it'd get a lot worse if you had kids so this would be awesome for the mums out there. 

These can be purchased from the regular online stores. Simply search for heavy weight tablecloth.

Skirting Clips For Tables

Key Features

1. 50 per pack
2. Fits 1/2-3/4" edges
3. Velcro for attaching to skirt

Reviews reveal high quality, good price and product effectiveness. Although these are designed for a snug fit on table edges of around 1/2 to 3/4", it is stated that realistically, they can be stretched wider to a full 1 inch, but this may place them at risk of breakage. It also warns tat they greater extent to which they're stretched can put plastic or paper tablecloths at risk of tearing.  

There are several other versions of different sizes available for thicker edges, with clips that can easily stretch up to 2". These kinds of clips also come in several different colors and you can choose from plastic or steel. These are perfect for weddings or any function.

A pack of 50 means you'll have more than enough to secure your tablecloth and skirting.

Click here to view on Amazon

Heavy Bird Weights Made From Cast Iron

If your looking for a heavy tablecloth weight, these cast iron birds may be the perfect choice.

These are antique white cast iron birds that will let you prevent slipping and unwanted movement whilst maintaining an attractive appearance. Many other versions have a cheap or plastic appearance and appear as though they may lack the size and weight to actually be effective in securing a tablecloth. However, these cast iron birds are 2" long, and will definitely be capable of standing up to gusty conditions during a picnic and could also be great for outdoor entertaining at home. Their pleasant appearance means you can also use them on dining tables without creating a tacky look.

Click here to view on Amazon

Cute Insect Tablecloth Weights

These may be the cutest tablecloth weights I've ever seen. If you're a fan of ladybugs, then there is a four pack of them available. But I much prefer this "mixed bug" set. I think they're intended for outdoor use, but in my opinion they're cute enough for indoor use as well. It's funny, usually I dislike all things 'creepy crawly', but I love these insect weights.

The size of each bug is approximately 3.5 x 2.5".

Are they heavy enough?

They have a shipping weight of approximately 6.4 ounces. I'm guessing it's therefore logical to assume that each bug has a weight of around 1.5 ounces? Some people who've purchased these state that they're heavy enough. Whereas another reviewer stated that they had to buy a second pair as these are not heavy enough for larger tables. It seems as though most customers rated these as effective at resiting the force of wind gusts. Obviously they're not going to keep it secured during a hurricane, but they'll do the job in normal conditions.

Either way, I love them! I'm trying to think of other uses for them, such as hanging them off curtains or perhaps my rear view mirror =)

Click here to view on Amazon

Clip On Tablecloth Weights

There really are many different options to choose from.

If you're looking for a style and maintaining class, these stainless steel tablecloth weights pictured below will be perfect for you.

 

These stainless steel weights are available on Amazon

Most tablecloth weights available on Amazon seem to be designed for outdoor use, rather than being intended to maintain class and style of indoor dining tables. However, these have a modern feel, and will not bring down the appearance of your tablecloth.

There are many other options which are designed more for outdoor use, with picnic and barbeque themes. Although they may look a little tacky if used indoors for fine dining, they're perfectly suited to any picnic or barbeque and some are really quite cute.

These cute picnic basket weights are perhaps my favorite

These are also available on Amazon


I also find these heart weights to be quite cute and these will be quite appropriate for indoor tablecloths.

These are also available on Amazon

Obviously the design you choose will be largely dependent on the setting and occasion.

If you want a heavy weight option, view my post on cast iron bird tablecloth weights (my favorite). Obviously, they're made of cast iron, but they're also very attractive.

Indoors or outdoors?

For indoor tables, weights such as fruits and animals are going to look a little cheap and tacky and may be seen as "bad taste". Whilst perfect for barbeques and picnics, they're definitely not the best option for a dining table if you're looking to maintain a little class. There's a range to suit anything from picnic tables to more formal dining settings.

I have several other solutions to tablecloths moving and getting blown away listed in my two previous blog posts, which focus on clips and clamps. 

Recommended Reading:

1. Tablecloth clips
2. Tablecloth clamps

Whilst these are a less attractive option, they're cheap and they are more effective at actually holding a table cloth in place. Weights will have the ability to minimize movement, but for windy conditions or to prevent toddlers pulling things down on themselves, clips and clamps will be a much more effective solution.

Tablecloth Clamps

Adjustable Spring-Loaded Tablecloth Clamps

Wind proof your tablecloth and prevent slipping of indoor tablecloths!

I recently became are of these tablecloth clamps, which are allow me to hold down my tablecloth in a way which looks pleasant, as these clamps have a reasonably aesthetic appearance. I guess there's not really much you can say about these, except that they work.

These clamps are available on Amazon

It can be really infuriating when your tablecloth continually slips or gets blown off. I must admit, until I became aware of these options, I just lived with it, even though it was a really irritating problem. University text books, assignments, my laptop and a bunch of other stuff used to always be sliding around on my table, messing up my table cloth alignment. I have a white floral table cloth which constantly slips down and looks uneven and unattractive. I find it really messes up the look of my dining room, just makes it look sloppy.

Small simple ideas like this can eliminate regular sources of irritation. There are other options, such as little plastic clips which are perhaps a little less noticeable, or you can purchase some tablecloth weights.

Another option that also may be worth considering is a gripper style mat which goes underneath your tablecloth. This is obviously going to be the best option for those who are concerned about the appearance of clips and clamps.