How to Make a Quilted Christmas Table Runner

Measure the length of the table you are making the runner for. The length of the runner is whatever size you want it to be. It can hang end to end, it can hang over, or it can just be centered to allow for place mats.

Start from the center of the table and measure toward the side to decide how wide you want the runner to be. Double the measurement. You now have the measurements to cut your rectangle table runner.

Using your measurements, cut one rectangle out of the printed fabric and one out of the solid fabric. Using two different types of fabric will allow your table runner to be reversible. If you prefer to use solids, make one side red and one side green.

Use one of your rectangle panels to lay out on the quilt batting. Cut a section of quilt batting the same size as the material runner. Be careful that the batting does not pull or stretch as you cut it, or it will not be straight.

Lay the quilting batting section out flat on a work surface. Lay the solid runner piece on top of it, right-side up. Lay the printed section on top of both of these, right-side down. Make sure all sides are matched and straight. Pin all three sections together with straight pins.

Sew a 5/8-inch seam down both long sides of the table runner and across one end. Carefully trim away the excess quilt batting around these three sides. Cut it back just to the sew line. Remove the pins. Turn the runner right-side out so that the batting is now in the middle of the two fabrics.

Fold the unsewn ends in about ¼ of an inch, and pin shut. Starting at the open end, sew a straight line as close to the edge as possible. Turn the runner and continue sewing down the sides and other end all the way around.

To quilt the runner, you must first draw sewing guidelines with a ruler and a sewing pencil. To make small squares, lay the ruler on the end of the runner crossways and draw a line along the inside edge of the ruler. Move the ruler toward the center of the runner. Place its outer edge on the line you drew, and make a new line on the inner edge of the ruler. Continue drawing lines until you get to the other end. Repeat this technique to draw lines running the length of the runner to form the squares. By expanding your measuring line you can enlarge the squares. You can adjust the lines to only quilt the ends of the runner, or you can choose to quilt only the center. To make diamond shapes, start at the corner and lay the ruler at a 45-degree angle across one corner and repeat the angle on the opposite corner.

Sew a straight stitch following each line you have drawn across the material. Be sure to keep the material smoothed out so it does not pucker. Continue sewing the straight lines until the entire table runner has been quilted. You can use a matching thread or a contrasting thread to make the quilting stand out.

For a final design flair, make pointed ends on the table runner. Fold the corner of each end in to meet the other corner so that the runner ends in a point. Hand tack the two ends together. Do not sew them to the runner surface. This way you can flip the tucked corners over to make the table runner reversible. You can sew a tassel to the points if you want to.