Table Skirt Sizing Guide:
1) How many sides of the table are you trying to cover?
You might want all 4 sides of your table to be skirted, especially if it's a free standing table where guests will either walk all the way around it, or will be able see the entire table.
Or, you might only want 3 sides of your table to be skirted because you'll be pushing an end against a wall, or someone will be sitting at the table (such as a welcome desk).
Decide on the use of your skirt, and how many sides need to be covered by the table skirt.
2) What's your table size?
Make sure you get the measurements for the LENGTH of your table (the longest sides), the WIDTH of your table (the shorter sides), and the HEIGHT of your table (from the table's edge down to the floor).
If your table is round, measure the DIAMETER by measuring across the top of the table with a tape measure.
Calculating the best Table Skirt size for square or rectangular tables:
- After you've determined which sides of your table you want to be skirted (see Step 1 above), add up the total number of inches from the length and width measurements that you took (see Step 2 above).
- Example, you have an 8 foot banquet table that is 96 inches long x 30 inches wide x 30 inches tall. You want to skirt 3 sides, leaving the back end open for someone to sit behind. Take 96 inches (the front side) + 30 inches (one of the shorter sides) + 30 inches (the other shorter side), and you get 156 total inches.
- Divide your total inches by 12, which will get you the number of feet that your skirt needs to be. In this example, 156 inches ÷ 12 inches = 13 feet
- So, our 14 foot long table skirt is right in that range, covering the 3 sides of your table, plus an extra 6 inches of table skirting that would wrap around each side of the back. This would leave plenty of open room for the person sitting behind the table.
Calculating the best Table Skirt size for round tables:
We're about to have you reminiscing about math class -- hopefully they're all good memories :)
- You'll need to get the circumference of your round table. To do this, take the diameter of the table and multiply it by Pi (3.14).
Example: your table has a diameter of 60 inches. By taking the diameter x Pi -- that is, 60 x 3.14 -- you calculate that the circumference is 188.40 inches. - Now you'll take that circumference and divide it by 12, which will tell you the number of feet your table skirt needs to be. Using our example: 188.40 ÷ 12 = 15.7 feet of skirting.
- Now you'll be able to see that a 14 foot skirt wouldn't go all the way around your table, and that a 17 foot long skirt would be the closest standard size that would skirt all the way around. Yes, there would be a little overlapping, but with an unnoticeable pin or valance clip there wouldn't be an issue.
All of our standard table skirts are 29 inches tall, though if you have a taller (or shorter) table, please contact us for custom pricing. Most standard tables are 30 inches high, and you usually want the table skirt to be about 1 inch off the floor so that the fabric doesn't drag or pool on the ground.
Even though the table height didn't factor into our formulas above, it's still important to get your table height and make sure that the table skirting that you choose will work.
Tablecloth Sizing Guide:
We make tablecloth sizing easy with our handy Tablecloth Size Calculator! Just enter a few dimensions and you get the perfect tablecloth size with the click of a button.
But if you really love doing math, we're here to help! To calculate the ideal tablecloth size manually:
Round tables:
- Get your table's diameter by measuring across the top of the table.
- Determine your desired drop length (how far from the table edge you want your tablecloth to drop down toward the floor).
- To calculate your tablecloth size, take your diameter + (your desired drop length x 2).
Example: you have a 60 inch round diameter table, and you want your tablecloth to drop 12 inches down. You would take 60 + (12 x 2) to get 84 inches. You'll need an 84 inch round tablecloth.
Square and Rectangular tables:
- Get the length (longest side of your table), width (shorter side of your table), and your preferred drop length (how far down from the table's edge -- toward the floor -- you want the tablecloth to drop down).
- To calculate your tablecloth width, take your TABLE WIDTH + (DROP LENGTH x 2).
Example: your table is 30 inches wide. You want it to drop down 15 inches on the shorter sides. You'll take: 30 + (15 x 2) = 60 inches wide. Your tablecloth needs to be 60 inches in width. - To calculate your tablecloth length, take your TABLE LENGTH + (DROP LENGTH x 2).
Example: your table is 72 inches long, and you want your tablecloth to drop down 15 inches on the longer sides. You'll take: 72 + (15 x 2) = 102 inches. Your tablecloth should be 102 inches long. - Now you just put those two calculations together and you can see that you'll need a 60 inch wide x 102 inch long tablecloth!
Hopefully this guide has helped you determine the best table skirt or tablecloth size for your tables. If you have any questions at all, know that we're here to help!
This post was updated on October 5, 2017.
