The Apple Tree Room: Classroom Overhaul -- Step 2: Make Table Skirts

My classroom tables (like much of the furniture in my room) are not pretty. In fact, a couple of them are downright ugly. I got at least two of them from the salvage department for our district. Like my file cabinets, they need a makeover if they are going to have a place in my new "pretty" classroom.

After looking around for ideas, I decided on making table skirts. Not only would they hide some of the ugliness of the tables, but they would also hide the tubs I tend to stash underneath.

The issue: how to make them? My teammate Heather over at Worf's Wiggle Worms has a cute table skirt, but she has had mixed results when she used velcro tabs. They keep falling off. Our teammate Jenney had her mom sew table skirts. She stapled them into the edge of the table, and they've stayed up really well. But I don't sew, and I want to be able to remove mine for messy art projects.

My super crafty husband came to the rescue! He offered to make table skirts for me! The results look awesome! Here's how he did it.

Step 1: Measure the tables.

Get the length and the width, and then figure out how much you want the fabric to hang over the table. Add that on to your measurement.

Step 2: Find the material.

We got my fabric from Hobby Lobby for 50% off. We chose a heavier fabric so it would hang properly. I selected this particular style because the colors go with the colors that I already have on my classroom walls. This also matches the file cabinets I just repainted.

Step 3: Iron the fabric.

We ironed the edges of the fabric to create 3/4" folds for the hems.

Step 4: Hem it on the sides and bottom.

On the bottom and sides, he did a wide, long zig-zag stitch.

Step 5: Sew on the Velcro.

On the top, he sewed the Velcro on as he stitched it with a straight stitch. We used sewing Velcro, not sticky Velcro. Sticky Velcro makes a mess with the needles.

Step 6: Attach sticky Velcro to table.

I had a couple of big rolls of Velcro at school, so we just wrapped it around the front and sides of the table. We experimented with how high we wanted to attach the Velcro to the table so the table skirt would align with the edge of the table.