I Have a Tablecloth Question

They sell table cloth pads at most stores that sell home goods...Walmart, Kohl's, Bed Bath Beyond, probably Christmas Tree Shops. There is usually a felt-like material on one side and vinyl on the other. The felted side goes against the table top and grips it. The vinyl side is face up and offers a water-proof barrier under the cloth to protect the table. The vinyl side is usually textured/lightly quilted to provide a surface to grip the cloth and prevent it from sliding. They're sold in multiple sizes or you can cut to size.

If you love the tablecloth, you can get a rubber mesh like what is used under throw rugs and hall runners, or what is used under silverware trays in drawers. Rubbermaid (I think) makes the latter in a roll and you just cut the lengths you need. You could also talk to someone in a good fabric store. If you have to cut 2 lengths, just tape the edges together.

I use a thick flannel fitted sheet (really!) under my tablecloth - it gives me a layer of protection from warm dishes that people don't always set on trivets. It hugs the corners of the table and the tablecloth overhand hides the sheet corners. Its nubby surface keeps the tablecloth from sliding.

Another option would be something like Command adhesive strips, but if your tablecloth is thin, the strips will show unless the pattern is busy enough to hide them. Maybe put them on the side edge of the table?

This might be more work and expense than you want to deal with. That's why I led with "if you love the tablecloth"!

I would get a rug-grip that you can put under throw rugs. Sometimes you can find it on a roll and cut it to size. You can find them all kinds of places, like Target, Home Depot, etc. Here is an example (not a roll, but the general idea): https://www.target.com/p/2-4-x3-6-better-rug-stay-natural...

When I bought my dining room furniture, I bought something like I think your mom has. It's a thicker padded table cover, vinyl-ish on top and quilted underneath, that you put under tableclothes. It was from Bed Bath and Beyond and was cut to size. It is great for preventing dings and burns. You can set hot stuff on it without using trivets. But I wouldn't use it for every day where kids throw their bags and stuff.

we have to have a tablecloth because my husband insisted we needed a nice good quality wood dining room table like grown ups instead of the awesome indestructible homemade tile one we had for years.

so now we have to jump through hoops to keep this table pristine. and that means tablecloths for the rare occasions we actually eat there.

i didn't know this (my husband IS the only grown up in our family) but they make these grippy felty things to put under tablecloths to help prevent them from slipping.

i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who didn't know this.
:) khairete
S.

I would do away with it.

I would be very careful with your good wood table. Only use something made for this purpose. Certain plastics and rubber could affect the finish on the table. For instance I left a coated hand weight on a wood dresser and it left a permanent mark.

you can buy non skid material to put under it